Over the four years of his undergraduate studies, he grounded himself in practice and anchored his passion for Chemical Engineering (CE) during the long hours spent in the laboratory at GTIIT. After graduation, he chose to stay at GTIIT to pursue a Technion master's degree, following distinguished mentors and dedicating himself fully to scientific research. As a result, he secured full doctoral scholarships from multiple prestigious universities and headed to the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the United States this August to pursue his PhD.

Today, let us delve into the story of Wang Letian, a GTIIT graduate of CE program.

Wang Letian

Program: CE (UG+PG)

High school: Ningxiang No. 1 Middle School, Changsha, Hunan

Full Scholarship PhD Offers:

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Pennsylvania State University

Johns Hopkins University

University of Virginia

University of California, Davis

Currently Enrolled: University of Wisconsin-Madison

UG: Approach research with passion

One’s first impression of Letian may be his introversion and modesty. The immersive science and engineering learning at GTIIT has stripped away his immaturity from high school, and brought a deeper commitment to scientific research.

The first challenge upon entering university was adapting to the English-taught curriculum. "I went through a long period dealing with the academic pressure that came with many courses. And my grades fluctuated a lot," Letian admitted. "English was also a challenge. I had to understand it before learning everything." To catch up quickly, he focused on classes during the day and reviewed the knowledge in the evenings, while also humbly seeking help from professors. "It's vital to determine your future plans early, whether it's academia or industry, and then work towards that goal." Apart from occasional football games, he rarely appeared in the colourful student clubs, being seen by his peers as a "steady" introvert.

Gradually, Letian's grades met his expectations. In his senior year, he joined Prof. Zhong Ziyi's research group, unlocking another "residence" in university.

 "Undergraduate students should try more of what they are interested in; only by engaging can they understand what it's really like," he said. In the laboratory, he continuously expanded his knowledge boundaries, reading papers, formulating plans, and practicing hands-on, experiencing a completely different "sense of immersion" from theoretical courses, establishing his passion for research step by step. "The greatest advantage of GTIIT professors is their willingness to answer questions and their effort to fuel your eagerness to ask questions," Letian mentioned several times during the conversation, "and with a low student-to-faculty ratio, every student receives sufficient guidance and progresses quickly."

In 2021, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Letian gave up admission offers from several world-class universities and decided to continue his graduate studies at GTIIT. For this choice, he did not hesitate too much. "I had laid a good foundation in the research group of Professor Zhong, who has rich experience in heterogeneous catalysis and material synthesis characterization, providing me with many useful suggestions. The senior lab members also taught me hands-on, guiding me from a novice to someone capable of conducting independent experimental projects, helping me avoid many detours." Working alongside familiar partners in a nice team was his vision for graduate life, allowing him to approach challenges and obstacles with more confidence.

PG: Wait for fruits with persistence

Compared to the undergraduate phase, postgraduate's courses presented new challenges. "There is more theoretical learning in undergraduate studies, while most of the time in the graduate phase is spent doing experiments, requiring greater self-discipline and initiative." Such practice enhanced his learning ability and enriched his research experience. "Previously, I mostly followed the arrangements of senior lab members and absorbed their experiences. Now, I have more autonomy followed by wider thinking.”

The deeper his research went, the more Letian realized that the surprises GTIIT brings are not only broad research perspectives but also dual accumulation of experimental skills and research outcomes. In 2023, he collaborated with his team members to publish a paper titled "Shifting CO2 Hydrogenation from Producing CO to CH3OH by Engineering Defect Structures of the Cu/ZrO2 and Cu/ZnO Catalysts" in the Chemical Engineering Journal. By regulating the defect structures of the catalysts, they further optimized the CO2 hydrogenation reaction.

In March 2022, he went to the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology for a semester of exchange studies and joined Prof. Lilac Amirav's lab, where he learned from students from around the world. "Prof. Lilac taught me some new experimental methods. She is very tolerant, and when my experiments failed, she always encouraged me to stay confident," Letian said with full gratitude.

During the exchange, he proposed a new research direction on CO2 conversion to Professor Lilac. After getting positive feedbacks, Letian began to conduct experiments. There were many challenges to overcome in the research, "From building the reactor, synthesizing the catalyst, to characterizing the activity, every step required active thinking." After going through the initial draft, revision, submission, and resubmission processes, in early 2024, Letian published a first-author paper titled "Porous In2O3 Hollow Tube Infused with g-C3N4 for CO2 Photocatalytic Reduction" in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. By using photocatalysis for the carbon dioxide reduction, he provided a new strategy for achieving efficient and sustainable CO2 conversion.

"First, read more papers to gain a full picture of the field. Then formulate your own experimental plan before systematically conducting experiments." Throughout the research, he continuously adjusted his mindset and always believed in the power of persistence, "Don't give up halfway. Anyway, the data from the experiments will always be useful." With such enthusiasm, he chose chemical engineering again and went to the University of Wisconsin-Madison in August this year to pursue a Ph.D.

// Dream it. Do it.

This season, Madison is wrapped in winter's snowy embrace—in this broader world, he will set off again, continuing his passion and opening a brand-new chapter of his life.

Text: GTIIT News & Public Affairs

Photos: provided by Wang Letian