Rachel Koltun, a fourth-year doctoral candidate in the Materials department, is conducting research and designing projects to explore solutions to real world problems, such as the depletion of fossil energy sources. Rachel is also the co-founder of SciiX (Science and Industry Exchange for women), a student organization that brings female scientists in industry to UCSB to engage in discussions and share their experiences. Outside of the lab, Rachel enjoys exploring the beautiful natural environment of Santa Barbara.
Read on to learn more about Rachel's graduate school experiences and research.
Tell us a little about your research and how you came to choose the topic.
In college, I became interested in alternative energy after I started to understand that it is one of the fundamental technological issues of our generation. In an undergraduate class, I did a project on thermoelectric materials and became interested more generally in the nature of basic science with potential applications to current real world problems.
My thesis project is on thermoelectric materials. When there is a temperature difference across a thermoelectric material it generates electricity with no moving parts. I work on designing novel materials to be more efficient thermoelectrics. It is more of a proof of principle project using thin films to precisely engineer materials. Thin films themselves cannot generate a lot of electricity, but by growing thin, very high quality materials, we can better understand the fundamental concepts behind making these materials on a larger scale.
What has graduate student life been like for you?
Rachel Koltun setting up a high temperature electrical measurement in the thermoelectrics lab.Graduate life has been a growing experience in many different ways. I have grown out of a typical student life and now treat graduate school as more of a job. It is nice to still have flexibility in my work schedule, but at first, it was difficult to maintain a good balance and I overworked myself a lot. Now that I understand that, I am happier and more productive when I take the time off that I need and I do not worry about what other people are doing as long as it works for me.
It is good to get in good habits now since old habits are hard to break. Being a graduate student at UCSB is really great because people are very open and collaborative. Talking with and collaborating with other people here is where I see my biggest improvements.
What has been a source of motivation or drive for you in your graduate studies?
Knowledge. The more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know. Going to graduate school has made science much more accessible to me, so it is easier to get excited about different projects. Also, UCSB does a lot of outreach to industry, so that helps me look one step ahead of grad school.
Name an accomplishment you are most proud of and describe why.
A mixture of brute force and cleaning: Rachel and a lab mate pose while doing maintenance on the ultra high vacuum equipment where they grow their high quality samples. They are wearing respirators to protect against particulates and Arsenic dust.During my second year in grad school, it started to sink in that I rarely interacted with women professors and hardly ever saw women come in as invited speakers. This made it difficult for me to see where I could go in science. To remedy this, I reached outside my academic bubble and founded a student group with another graduate student in my field: SciiX.
SciiX, Science and Industry Exchange for women, reaches out to women in industry to share their experiences with graduate students. Typically these women have Ph.Ds, so we are on a similar track to them. Many of our mentors received their Ph.Ds from UCSB, which makes it even easier to connect and identify with them. Interacting with these successful women in science has been a great motivator in my graduate career. Also, it turns out that our speaker series is useful to both men and women who are considering careers outside of academia. The candid discussions we have been able to foster has been very insightful and we have held a number of successful events.
What do you do to relax? Any hobbies, collections, pastimes, favorite places to go, favorite things to do? Along these same lines, what makes you happy?
Rachel working in the cleanroom facilities on campus to prepare samples for measurement.To relax on the weekends, I like taking slow mornings: going for a run, eating a nice breakfast, and reading a good book. Going on hikes with friends has also been a nice way to disconnect from grad school and take in my surroundings. Just hanging out downtown and enjoying the fact that I live in beautiful Santa Barbara is often enough to recharge me.
What do you hope to be doing five or 10 years out of graduate school?
I hope to know what I want to be when I grow up! I imagine that I will be doing scientific research in some capacity. However, I am sure that I will not be able to predict my career trajectory. Hopefully I will be more settled down to a specific city and company/institute.
Do you have any advice for current grad students?
My biggest piece of advice for graduate students is to get into good working habits now and try to find a work/life balance that works for you. Old habits die hard. If you create a work ethic that is unsustainable for you, you will not enjoy your work and you may burn out.