刘畅 Liu Chang

Program:

Materials Science and Engineering

High School: 

Shantou Jinshan High School

Awards:

2021 Second-class Academic Excellence Scholarship & Dean's List

2020 Second-class Academic Excellence Scholarship & Dean's List

2019 First-class Academic Excellence Scholarship & Vice Chancellor's List

Offers:

Rice University

Duke University

Boston University

EPFL

University of California, Berkeley

University of Michigan

National University of Singapore

Columbia University in the City of New York

The Johns Hopkins University

“You may change the world because of it”

“I was born in Chaoshan and heard from my family and friends about GTIIT, this local university, and prof. Aaron Ciechanover, the Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry and Vice Chancellor at that time. I was interested in Israeli education and might study aboard after graduation, so I chose GTIIT.”

Photo by Liu Chang

“I determined, and I worked hard.” Liu Chang says that material is related to everything. "The microstructure of a material determines its properties. Distinct from other disciplines, we study its synthesis and characterization, which allow us to learn about the relationship between microstructure, properties and processing flow of materials, so as to improve the production process to achieve better performance. It is an interdisciplinary subject that can be combined with mechanics, chemical engineering, biology, etc. GTIIT provides both science and engineering courses, which is very useful for practice.”

For Liu, the program is a basic and extensive ground to dig deep. “By studying an existing material or developing a brand new one to meet people’s needs, you may change the world because of it. That’s why materials science attracts me.”

Immerse and initiate

For undergraduate study, Liu has a clear scheme. “First, be a good participant in class. Lectures focus on principles and can help you understand the content, while tutorials are more about quizzes and exams and help you out of your misery. You can also group like-minded friends and study together. When you meet questions, don’t leave it until finals. Ask your professor in class or during office hours.” Besides, Liu will make a mind map of the key points of the course before exams. Diligent and efforts earn him excellent academic performance over the four years.

Liu Chang (4th from the left) 

“I will try more I like as I am young.” Liu takes the initiative to seek opportunities. “Materials science covers a wide range of topics, and thus it is hard to find what I am interested in at a glance. I would suggest that a good way is to try more. Join research teams and take part in the hands-on laboratory. Moreover, I attend most of the seminars and lectures” held in GT and read relevant papers. Through these efforts, I learn more about the industry.”

Liu Chang likes experiments and often goes to labs. When he heard in his sophomore year that Prof. Daniel Tan’s group in Materials Science and Engineering was recruiting people, he seized the opportunity to participate in researching the processing and testing of supercapacitors.

"At that time, we encountered some difficulties and could not prepare the electrode materials for the supercapacitor according to the previous process. We tried different temperature and time conditions by ourselves and spent a semester or two, but there was never a breakthrough." Liu Chang admits that it was a torturous time, with the pressure of course work besides the experiment and the influence of the pandemic, and once wanted to give up. But after thinking about how long it had taken, he persevered.

"I was in charge of the process design and data processing, so later I had the opportunity to participate in the discussion of the paper by lab assistant Zhuang Zilong, exchanging detailed ideas and finally publishing the paper with my name as the co-author. If I had given up midway at that time, I might have missed this opportunity. I am very grateful to myself for persisting at that time, to teachers for giving the opportunity, and to my peers for their efforts."

In the future, Liu Chang hopes to find a direction he likes to continue his research or a job that combines his interests. At present, he has already got offers from many well-known universities around the world, including Rice University, and is preparing to go overseas for further study. He is looking forward to the communication of different cultures and thoughts.

On the occasion of graduation, he would like to say to younger students, "As the GT's slogan 'Dream it, do it' says, I hope you can grasp the opportunity, work hard and realize your dreams."