See how Anika Bhoopalam envisions her future with renewable energy sources.
There are many ways to pursue your own path with a STEM degree. Anika Bhoopalam, a chemical engineer at Purdue University, says advances in semiconductor research can help combat the climate crisis. Learn about STEM opportunities at the upcoming “In Our STEM Era” Makerspace.
Q: Who is your most influential role model?
A: One of my aunts is the kind of person I aspire to be: knowledgeable, caring, and hardworking. She was the first of her siblings to immigrate to the United States from India. Although she is now retired, she has taken great care of my family throughout her medical career (including watching over me when my parents are busy!). She is also passionate about acquiring knowledge. I would talk to her and she would say, “Yeah, I’m reading about the Ottoman Empire right now.” She taught me how to always learn new things, be there for others, and do my job well.
Q: What is your favorite part of your major?
A: Chemical and electrical engineering can be used to solve many different problems that affect our planet. Through my contributions to solar research, I learned about the role semiconductors play in solar panels. This is very interesting to me and I’m excited to use my engineering knowledge to contribute to innovation.
Q: What are you most curious about these days?
A: My biggest motivation is the advancement of solar energy and other renewable resources. The climate crisis affects all living things. It’s very motivating to think that what I’m doing can be applied to the environment.
Q: Where do you get your inspiration from?
A: It’s so energizing to see people making progress toward something they’re passionate about. It might be reading about someone’s new technique in a research paper or seeing someone volunteering for a cause you sympathize with. I love learning, so I find inspiration in many different places.
Q: What does persistence mean to you?
A: Please continue. When things are done one way for so long, people forget that there are endless possibilities to try. I think it’s important to try different approaches. Learning from your mistakes and responding to them is how you move forward.
Q: What is your biggest motto?
A: Just being human allows you to grow into the person you want to be. I used to be hard on myself, but now I tell myself that one of the defining characteristics that makes us human is our ability to adapt. It’s in our DNA. By definition, I can adapt. You can try new things and become better.
Q: If you could give advice to your teenage self, what would it be?
A: You can learn from anything. Even if you get a bad result, you can react and switch to improve the situation.
Q: What is your favorite memory from Purdue?
A: I loved traveling and participating in the Global Engineering Alliance for Research and Education (GEARE) program. Engineering students can complete a domestic internship, a study abroad session, and then an international internship. I interned at SkyWater Technology in Florida, studied abroad in Ecuador, and interned at ASML in the Netherlands. GEARE is one of the reasons I chose Purdue. It was so much fun!
Q: What are you most looking forward to next?
A: Next, I plan to apply to graduate school. I would like to pursue a PhD in chemical engineering, materials engineering, or electrical engineering to further the research happening in semiconductors and renewable energy sources. I can’t wait to dig deeper into research in the lab.
