Back in December, I wrote a blog about a Motown concert I attended and a jazz concert by Dr. Peter Erskine that I was going to attend at the blue whale jazz club in LA. Well, I did attend it! And it was magnificent. And I’m writing about the concert now as a follow-up. Dr. Erskine is a renowned Jazz drummer and his album was nominated for the Emmy Awards this … Read More

People think engineering is difficult and engineers pride themselves on their technical prowess and mastery over complex topics. The truth is engineering is all about making life simpler and better. I used to think engineering was about finding the absolute best solution to a problem after having considered everything necessary. However, after graduate school and internships, I realize that the real … Read More

I’ve been involved in FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology) robotics for 14 years ever since I was in middle school. I started out as a participant, moved on to be a volunteer, continued to volunteer as a judge at tournaments and then continued to volunteer as a Member of the Board of Directors for the non-profit organization that … Read More

Earlier this semester, I visited The Broad Museum in downtown LA. They had an exhibit called “Creature,” and it was about how humans interact, how we are similar to yet different from animals, and about artists expressing the raw “creature” within them. I had been wanting to go for a long time ever since I heard about Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room. It’s … Read More

Woohoo I graduated! Sadly, this means my time as a Viterbi blogger has come to an end. I’d like to take a moment to thank…oops, wrong speech. That’s for the Oscars, which I have no plans of ever receiving and I’m completely okay with that. Seriously, though, my time at USC and my time as a blogger has been an … Read More

This week is Commencement, and I am graduating! One of the many celebrations held at USC for grads is the Asian Pacific graduation party for all students of Asian or Pacific Islander ethnicity. It started with a culture show of various student performances including a breathtaking Taiko drum performance (see picture above). Then, each graduating student got to walk on … Read More

Dean Yortsos, the dean of USC Viterbi, coined the term Engineering+ and uses it to describe the new world we live in – where engineers apply our technical skills+ an entirely new field (entertainment, art, business, psychology, communication, etc. etc.)  = solution to complex societal problems This is my second blog post on this topic because I think engineering+ is important. As engineers, … Read More

Engineering+ is about using engineering + a completely different discipline to address societal needs not just technical problems. It was coined by USC Viterbi Dean Yortsos around the time that the 14 Grand Challenges were published. The National Academy of Engineering issued 14 Grand Challenges that engineers need to address that face society today. These challenges can be grouped into 4 main categories: security, health, … Read More

Taking care of yourself is an important part of academic success. I’ve learned this the hard way. As graduate students, we pay the Health Center Student Fee every semester (unless you’re on your parents’ or some other insurance). Thus, when you’ve already paid for a service, why not use it? The Engemann Health Center on the university park campus (behind the gym) … Read More

Intel ISEF is coming to LA May 14-19! The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, spitting distance from USC.  I highly encourage you to go with your research labmates, your friends, any K-12 students you want to inspire, or your family! Thousands of high school student finalists from around the world will descend upon … Read More