Spotlight: Nanoscience student Joseph Krause

Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? What drew you to Virginia Tech?

My name is Joseph, and I am a senior here at Virginia Tech. I am from Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, which is about 30 minutes outside of Philadelphia. I am the Vice President of the Student Intellectual Property Club here at VT, a member of The Sigma Chi Fraternity, and a proud soldier in the Army National Guard. I love the New York Rangers, as well as the Hokies, and enjoy spending time with my friends and family. I was drawn to VT after I first visited the campus. I had already applied to Virginia Tech, and was deciding between VT, Penn State, and Marquette. After visiting, I knew VT was home, as the beauty of the campus along with the Hokie community was exactly what I wanted in a school.

What majors/minors are you pursuing?

I am currently double majoring in Nanoscience and Chemistry, with a minor in science, engineering, and law (SELW).

What drew you to Nanoscience?

This is always one of my favorite questions to answer. I came to Virginia Tech with the solo goal of becoming a chemical engineer. Although not originally admitted to the engineering program, I promised myself I would transfer in to the engineering program as soon as possible, and be able to study something I thought I had wanted to study since freshman year of high school. I loved chemistry and physics in high school, and always envisioned myself working in a STEM related field. However, this all changed when I came to my College of Science freshman orientation here at VT. My parents and I were sitting in a presentation about the new majors being offered by the College of Science, Nanoscience being one of them. At the conclusion, I found the Nanoscience advisor, and we had an incredible discussion of what nanoscience entailed, the aspects of such a new and upcoming field, and how VT was one of only two schools in the nation to offer an undergraduate nanoscience degree. After hearing this, I immediately told her I would love to take NANO 1015 (Intro to Nanoscience), and by the end of the day, I had added the class. After one semester, I officially changed my major to Nanoscience.

What has surprised you about the Nanoscience Program?

The thing that has surprised me the most about the Nanoscience Program has been the hands-on experience. From Quantum Physics lab, where you conduct some of the most famous physics experiments in history, to the Research Rotations Seminar, in which you are exposed to undergraduate research for the first time, all provide the foundation for the scientist I am today.

Describe an experience you have had in the Nanoscience Program that stands out.

One of my favorite experiences while being a Nanoscience student was the first time one of my classes toured the Nanoscale Characterization and Fabrication Laboratory, which is located in the Corporate Research Center. This lab contains several highly-advanced instruments used for nanoscience research, such as transmission electron microscopes, scanning electron microscopes, a secondary ion mass spectrometer, and other instruments as well. The highlight of the trip was watching a professor take an image of a nanoparticle with the FEI Titan 300 transmission electron microscope. This is a state-of-the-art microscope available to image down to the smallest scales needed for research. When I first saw of all these instruments, and how they were used specifically for nanoscience, I began to realize and enjoy how powerful nanoscale research is becoming, and my love for the subject and research was ignited from this experience.

How do your Nanoscience classes differ from traditional science classes?

My nanoscience classes can be quite different from the traditional science classes I have taken here at VT, such as General Chemistry and Physics. Due to the novelty of nanoscience, new research and studies are published every day, and the field continues to evolve rapidly. This makes learning the material even more exciting, as we are studying phenomena and devices that will be used in future applications. However, in other classes, the lectures and material mostly covers past discoveries. In fact, although we do use textbooks for my classes, the field is evolving so quickly that most professors must use current publications to “keep up with the science”, as most textbooks become outdated in a matter of years! This in turn provides students with the incredibly important skill of how to read and comprehend a scientific article, especially those wanting to pursue graduate education. Whereas the normal science course can sometimes be thought of as boring, the nanoscience curriculum is riveting, placing students at the crux of science, technology, and engineering.

Talk a little about your experience with Undergraduate Research in the Nanoscience Program.

Undergraduate research has not only been my favorite thing about the Nanoscience Program, but one of my favorite things I have done here at Virginia Tech. Starting freshman year, I would have never imagined I would be conducting research experiments in a lab on campus, working on results and data interpretation, and moving to publish these results in a scientific journal, the same scientific journals I read for my classes! I owe all of this to the Nanoscience Program. It all started my sophomore year, when I was taking Research Rotations Seminar, a class in the Nanoscience program here. In this class, you shadow a graduate student who is working in a professor’s lab that conducts nanoscience research. Throughout the semester, you shadow different students who are all working on different projects, giving you a feel for all the different types of research you can conduct in the nanoscience field. After completing a three-week rotation in one of my assigned labs, I loved the research so much, I went to the professor, Dr. Greg Liu, and asked if I could continue working in his lab for the rest of the semester. This led to me staying the following summer in Blacksburg and working in the lab full-time, attending group meetings, and working towards getting my name on my first publication. A few weeks ago, that article was published online, with my name being the third author. Without the Nanoscience Program setting me up for success, I am not sure if I would be where I am today!

(You can read Joseph’s paper here.)

How has your Nanoscience coursework shaped the way you approach your education?

As I previously said, Nanoscience is a fast-evolving field, and the coursework has enabled me to develop a new approach to not only my education here at VT, but to my education as a person. This is because the coursework in nanoscience requires curiosity and a desire to seek out more information. It really teaches you to attack what you are learning, hone your skills, and master the concepts. There is always new information being published, new discoveries being made, and new ideas developing for the future, especially in a field as novel as nanoscience. Due to this, you must seek out information on your own, find new articles you find interesting, and learn to study deeper into the concepts that are introduced in class. Although you can do this in other courses, you must do this in your nanoscience courses, which is where I have seen the difference. After having to do this for courses in Nano, I find myself doing it for any course I take here at VT, and even for learning on my own outside of the classroom.

What career path do you hope to follow?

Following my undergraduate degree, I hope to attend graduate school and pursue my Doctorate, with a strong focus on nanomaterials and nanodevices. From there, I want to traverse to law school, earn my JD, and become a Patent Attorney. The career I hope to follow is to become In-House Counsel at a new and upcoming nanoscience technology company, handling all their Intellectual Property matters and managing their Intellectual Property portfolio. In this career, I can apply my knowledge and love of science concurrently with my love for the law, helping to push the future of nanoscience even further.

What impact do you ultimately hope to have on the world?

The impact that I want to leave on the world is a question that cannot be answered within a single paragraph. The answer for me contains two different components, but the end goal being to join both separate components together to do something that will greatly affect our society. When I was a junior in high school, I had the opportunity to travel to Haiti for 10 days, where we planted trees and visited a local grade school every day. Each day, we would play soccer against the kids, help them with their English, and we even set up a Facebook account for some of the kids there. However, the most humbling experience was when we would talk about our lives at home, and how in awe the Haitian people were at how we lived. Things we took for granted, even a bottle of water, was a luxury to them. I will never forget that trip to Haiti, and since then have made the goal to always give back to those that are less fortunate than I am, especially in third world countries. When I started to become more involved with science, and decided on pursing a PhD, I realized I could possibly design or discover something, that would not only change the world, but help those in poor parts of the world. The impact I hope to have on the world is being able to invent something that changes the lives of everyone, both in the United States, but also in the poorest parts of our world. Something that will change the way we do something, such as drinking water, or treating diseases, that will be available to all populations, not just the ones that can afford it.

What has been the highlight of your Hokie career so far?

Being a senior, this question has been asked a lot of me lately, and I find it harder to answer every time I am asked. Being a Hokie is the one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life, and I would not change it for anything. From the beauty of the Hokie stone that distinguishes our campus to the spirit of the community that is like nothing I have ever experienced before, I am blessed to have had the opportunity to attend Virginia Tech. When reflecting on what really has been the highlight of my career, I have not been able to land on a single moment in time. Rather, I have realized that the highlight of my Hokie career, has been being a Virginia Tech Hokie. From cheering on our football team, to eating at our amazing dining halls, to driving through Philadelphia and getting a “Lets Go Hokies!” from a stranger driving next to me, it has all been surreal. When I first arrived in Blacksburg, I was often told of the community of Virginia Tech, and how once you were a member, you were a member for life. I took this for what is was, assuming that is how it was no matter where you went to college. However, being a Hokie is different. Our community is so strong and passionate about the school, it makes you a member for life. It has this special bond, where being a Hokie is much more than just attending college in Blacksburg, but it is embracing our motto of Ut Prosim, and carrying our Hokie spirit with us no matter where we go, anywhere in the world. I have felt this passion first hand, and I am lucky enough to be able to be a part of this community. That for me, realizing, witnessing, and living the amazing experience of being a Hokie, has been the highlight of my Hokie career.

What advice do you have for students considering a degree in Nanoscience?

For any student that is considering a degree in Nanoscience, I implore you to jump right in. Nanoscience is an incredible field, with such a vast scope of disciplines, it is hard not to find your passion. The professors are extraordinary, the coursework fascinating, and the opportunities endless. My advice would be to make the most of what the program offers. Get to know your professors very well, as this will help in your course work as well as in research opportunities. Explore undergraduate research, and take advantage of the awesome instruments VT has available, which are some of the most advanced available today. Lastly, take the knowledge learned in the program, and strive for greatness. Develop the next cure for cancer, the next smartphone, or a new and cheap way to purify water. Nanoscience has been on the rise, and it will continue to be one of the most important parts of the future, so hop on board now, and help to Invent the Future.