Kylie Trettner
PhD in Chemical Engineering
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
The best piece of advice I've ever been given is to always carry around a notebook. Though I suppose the true advice is what that implies: to write everything down. Writing out my thoughts and reasons why I want to try things (in terms of research) has been so helpful! Not only do I have a handful of notebooks (I'm really organized so each one serves a different purpose) but I've also found that typing up notes to myself when I need to get an idea out quickly is so helpful as well.
What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?
Since I'm still working toward earning my PhD, I'd have to say my greatest accomplishment was running TSP DIY last year (TPS = The Speed Project). It's normally a relay-style race from the Santa Monica Pier to the "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign, but because of COVID we did it around Santa Monica and Beverley Hills. I ran 31 miles at 6:27 average mile pace over the course of the 31-hour 45-minute race with 8 other women. It was incredible and I can't wait to run the real TSP relay next year!
What's your favorite impulse purchase from the past 12 months?
I don't impulse buy! I have to stick to my budget and I usually plan out my bigger purchases a few months in advance to spread them out. Once in a while I'll be tempted by the Madewell sales or buying a few more books than the one that I'm looking for, but if I can't fit it in my budget I don't buy it.
Please describe a little about your research and what excites you about it.
My research is a very interesting mix of materials science, electrical engineering, microscopy, and cancer biology! I'm currently working on creating both a magnetic hydrogel system and electromagnetic microscope mount to be able to use and applied magnetic field to change the mechanical properties of the hydrogel. I'm using this as a tumor microenvironment model to study howincreased material stiffness (modulus) changes the biological properties of cancer organoids grown in the hydrogel matrix. Eventually, I'll use this to study the cellular secretion profile and pair the system with a mechanotransductor to get both biological-only and material/organoid interface read-outs. I'm excited to work on engineering solutions to study biological effects and I've found myself working in the biophysics field - an industry I never knew existed until I began designing my project - and it truly forces us to push the boundaries between engineering, physical sciences, and biology to unlock the fundamental properties of fibrotic diseases.
If you could choose any other profession outside of engineering or computer science, what would it be?
I would hands down be a professional athlete. I was a student-athlete in undergrad and I'm really involved in the running community here in Los Angeles and if I was ever given the opportunity, I would jump into full-time training.
What are some factors that helped you decide to pursue your PhD at USC?
Beyond USC's location, I saw within USC the opportunity to truly forge my own path. Part of this is because I recognized my PI's encouragement for collaborations (both within and outside of USC) and actively pursued an institution that would support me but also give me the freedom to create at the same time as investigating biologically-inspired questions.
If you were to recommend to an incoming student 3 places to go in California/Los Angeles, what would they be?
There's too much to pick for all of California, so I'll limit it to a ~4 hour drive from LA. I absolutely love Death Valley National Park! In LA, the Santa Monica Mountains are probably where I spend most of my weekends (cycling through, but hiking and running are incredible there too) and while I'm talking of mountains, the access to various national forests is great here too (Angeles National Forest and San Bernardino and a few of those mountains are often my cycling destinations for Saturdays as well). My third place would be Ginger's Divine Ice Cream on Washington in Culver City; it's probably the best ice cream I've ever had!
What is a memory you'll cherish about your time at USC?
A memory I'll always cherish from USC actually happened during my visit weekend. It rained the whole day we toured campus and spoke with professors. Once I got out of my final meeting (with my current PI) and went to head back to the hotel, a rainbow popped up across campus I ended up walking back through campus under it. I think it was a sign haha!
What's one thing about you that might surprise me?
I was on Good Morning America when I was in middle school on accident. I went to watch the Fray perform, but during the interview with Steve Martin (he was promoting the Pink Panther movie) they decided to ask the crowd to try and repeat things in his character's accent. They came up to me! After I did it, the hostess turned to Steve and said, "I guess the accent isn't so hard!" which I took to mean I did pretty well.
What are your plans after graduation?
I'm really not sure what I want to do after graduation! I have a couple more years and right now I'm not sure if I want to continue my career doing benchwork or transition to a more consulting-type position. I love problem solving and building but I also really love science communication and public speaking, so I know I'll have to find the right position that will give me a good balance of both.
Hometown (city, country):
Wading River, NY, USA
Personal Website (if any):
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylietrettner
Faculty Advisor:
Prof. Andrea Armani
