Every month we’re featuring a PhD journey and this month is no different. Sara is a Spaniard who studied abroad at Imperial for her undergraduate degree and is now working towards her PhD at Columbia in New York! Sara and I met through a shared interest in environmental causes while at Imperial, and she is now continuing this theme with her PhD. You can find Sara online at LinkedIn and Twitter.
As always, if you’re a PhD student (or graduate) yourself and would be interested in sharing your PhD experience, please get in touch!
Please introduce yourself and summarise your PhD in a sentence
Hello! I’m Sara, a second year PhD student in Environmental Engineering at Columbia University. My PhD research specifically focuses on developing nanoscale electrolyte materials for renewable energy storage applications.
In order to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and enable widespread penetration of renewable energy (eg. wind and solar) into the grid, large scale energy storage technologies are necessary to overcome the challenge of intermittency. I am working to develop new hybrid electrolyte materials that can improve performance of flow batteries and other large-scale electrochemical energy storage systems to ultimately deliver high energy and power density systems, that are also safe, have long lifetimes, and are environmentally benign.
PhD Applications
What is your background?
I grew up in Madrid, Spain and loved school ever since I was young. Although I was interested in a variety of subjects growing up (for a long time in elementary school I wanted to be an artist) I was always particularly drawn to mathematics. I found it challenging, but also beautifully succinct and logical, which meant that I enjoyed pouring lots of time and energy into it.
In high school, I was lucky to have great science teachers who opened my eyes to the applications of mathematics in understanding the physical world and solving new problems. By the time I was thinking of applying to university, I was equally thrilled by math, chemistry and physics, so chose to apply to do a degree in chemical engineering, which seemed, at the time, an almost equal compromise between them all.
As I advanced in my university degree, I learned about the applications of chemical engineering in the area of the environment and climate change mitigation, both through courses and research experiences. I became increasingly aware of the challenges of a clean energy transition and of the role that new discoveries in science and engineering could have in addressing it.
Although I didn’t know exactly what my path would be, the desire to leverage my engineering skills to address environmental challenges has been integral to many decisions I have made since.
How did you choose to do a PhD?
I was lucky to have some fantastic research experiences during my undergraduate degree that ultimately lead me to choose to apply to do a PhD.
My first spark of interest came when I worked as an undergraduate researcher in a Bio-Renewables Laboratory at Imperial for a summer. For the first time, I was able to go through the scientific process independently and drive my own research direction, an experience I loved. I was also fortunate to be working along a highly energetic and driven group of researchers, and to have an excellent mentor.
The following summer, I decided I wanted to do research in a more ‘real-world’ environment and pursued a Junior Research Fellowship by Engineers without Borders UK. I partnered with Prakti, a social enterprise based in South India, which produces clean biomass cookstoves. The cookstoves combat threatening respiratory diseases associated with smoke inhalation and minimize the carbon footprint of heating and cooking in developing nations.
Alongside a classmate at Imperial, we built a computational fluid dynamics model to minimize particulate matter emissions, creating a more environmentally sustainable solution for biomass fueled-stove users.
We loved the experience so much that somehow convinced two professors back in our department to let us continue it as our final year research project. The whole experience was a lot of fun, re-instated my passion for research and made me aware of the potential of implementing solutions initiated in a collaborative academic environment to solving real-world problems in the energy field.
By the time final year came around, I looked back at my undergraduate course. I realised I had enjoyed almost all of it, but I never had more fun or been more invested than the times I was analysing a new set of data I had just acquired in the lab that day, meeting with my supervisor to go over a new experimental plan or researching properties of a material I had just learnt about from a PhD student in the lab. And so, I found myself applying to PhD programs, something I never even fathomed as I was starting my undergraduate degree.
How did you decide on a project? How was your applications process?
When I was applying to do a PhD, I was broadly interested in the areas of Carbon Capture and Utilization and Energy Storage, so I looked for research groups and institutions that offered projects in these areas.
I wanted to experience living somewhere new, so applied to several programs across Europe and North America. Once I had narrowed down my choices, the application process was fairly straightforward and similar for most institutions. Even though I didn’t know anyone applying to do a PhD in the US in my undergraduate institution, I was able to find useful information online and navigate the process easily.
Before sending applications out, I wrote to professors whose research I was interested in and was able to have online meetings with several of them. This helped me narrow down my choices and learn more about the groups I could potentially join, which was helpful when the time to make a decision of where to pursue my PhD came around.
Ultimately, I decided to join my current group at Columbia because I was drawn to the breath of its research in the area of sustainable energy. I also considered the strengths of the department I would be joining and the possibilities it offered in terms of elective courses I could take during my PhD.
I found out what my main project was shortly before joining, and it turned out to require a lot more knowledge of electrochemistry and materials science than I had anticipated, but it has proven to be a great experience to further my skills and be a part of a larger collaborative research network.
What do you think made your application stand out?
I tried my best to communicate both my passion for scientific inquiry and character of resilience in my application, which I believe are key attributes of great researchers. I think an ability to share a genuine story beyond a transcript can make your application stand out, providing the reader with a sense of what motivates your decision and whether you possess the attributes to commit to a PhD for 3-5 years.
Would you recommend studying abroad for your PhD?
I chose to move abroad for my undergraduate and PhD degrees and am very happy with both decisions. Growing up, my parents instilled in me a passion for discovering new places and encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone and set ambitious goals, so, when applying to universities, I didn’t think twice before sending applications to top chemical engineering departments all over the US and Europe.
I figured I’d try to get into the programs that offered the most opportunities and worry about moving abroad when (and if) I got accepted. So, I found myself a few months later moving to the UK to attend Imperial College. I absolutely loved living in London and being surrounded by a fully international body of students, which would have been unlikely had I stayed back home to pursue my studies.
The situation was similar when I decided to do a PhD – my main focus was to join a program that was strong in my research interests and, if I was lucky, I thought I’d get to experience somewhere new.
Leaving the UK was a difficult decision, as most of my closest friends I had made during my undergraduate would be staying in London, and I was fortunate to be offered a PhD position in another fantastic program nearby. Ultimately though, I asked myself: can I turn down a chance to join the group at Columbia and live in New York City?
Moving abroad has brought me opportunities to meet and learn from people from all over the world, explore different cultures and overall grow as an individual. I love cities so getting to experience London and New York has been an amazing added benefit of being a part of both these academic programs.
There have been hard goodbyes along the way and at times there have been challenges to being away from close family, but we’re always a Skype call away from each other. In summary, if you find a program abroad that is a good fit for your research interests, I would not hesitate to consider it! The thought can be daunting at first, but, in my experience, definitely worth pursuing.
How did you arrange funding?
I was fortunate to be fully supported for the entirety of my program through a combination of internal departmental funding and the research grant my project is associated to.
What advice do you have for people applying for a PhD?
- Before you apply to do a PhD, talk to current PhD students in your institution or beyond, or even read online resources, personal websites etc, written by PhD students.
This will be helpful to learn more about doing a PhD is like, and also will point you towards questions you might want to ask your potential future supervisors or group members when you start the application process.
- Start the application process early on and try to get guidance throughout the process.
Most programs require recommendation letters – make sure you ask for these one or two months ahead. Ask your academic advisors, professors and current PhD students you are close with to give you feedback on your statement of interest or other relevant parts of your application.
- Email supervisors whose research you are interested in advance, and try to set up a call with them if possible.
Ask questions about research and projects in the group, but also questions that will allow you to gauge what their mentorship style is, how much time they devote to meetings with their students, what their expectations are in terms of publications etc.
Your supervisor will have a large impact in what your PhD experience is like, so identifying whether you will enjoy working with them early on can be very valuable.
- Get in touch with current PhD students in research groups you are considering joining.
This can provide you with a different perspective to the one you will obtain from talking to a potential advisor, and can give you a great sense of what the group dynamic is like.
If you are accepted into a program and they offer a visit weekend, I would recommend attending. It gives you a chance to not only interact with current PhD students in your potential group and department, but also to meet your future cohort, who you will be sharing a lab, department, and probably many courses and coffee breaks with, in the next few years.
Life as a PhD Student
How have you found your PhD so far?
So far, I have found my PhD to be very rewarding, but also a steep learning curve.
There have often been times, especially in my first year, when I struggled, feeling overwhelmed about the number of new concepts being thrown at me, juggling multiple projects and feeling like I wasn’t making progress fast enough. After speaking to my advisor and peers about this, I’ve learnt to recalibrate my expectations and come to terms with the pace at which things advance in research.
“Recently, I found myself digging through some of my research notebooks from my first few months at Columbia and was surprised to see how much I’ve learnt since.”
Although it took some adjusting to, overall the PhD has been a great experience! I’ve been able to interact and learn from leaders in my field, taken a range of interesting courses, advance in my research, present at several conferences and overall, have a lot of fun.
What have been the highlights of your PhD?
- Attending my first conference.
Last May, I was able to attend the Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) Gordon Research Conference, my first academic research conference. I was slightly terrified at the thought of presenting my very preliminary first year results to leaders in the field of CCUS and remember almost trembling as I set up my poster. The conference turned out to be one of the best experiences in my PhD to date.
I remember taking pages and pages of notes during every presentation, but learnt just as much from multiple informative and thought-provoking discussions with other PhD students, professors, and industry leaders over breakfast or a cup of afternoon coffee. These allowed me to not only delve deeper into my specific research, but gain an understanding of the wider context of the field, and even begin to think about the many career options available post-PhD.
The conference took place in Switzerland, so the organizers took the opportunity to plan a visit to Climeworks, based in Zürich, which uses the world’s first commercial technology to remove CO2 from the air. Having followed Climeworks as a pioneer in the field of CCUS since I first became interested in this area, seeing their facility and getting to interact with their employees was a dream come true.
- Meeting inspiring, energised and brilliant people.
My perception is when people picture a PhD, the first thing that comes to mind is a solitary scientist working late in the lab, but that’s far from true.
Not to say there are not many, many long days spent in lab, but when doing a PhD you are also part of a multiple communities of like-minded people: your lab group, your department and wider research network.
I’ve met some incredible people throughout my PhD, from many different backgrounds and nationalities, who I’ve enjoyed bouncing ideas off during a coffee break, discussed a weekly seminar with, or even learnt some programming skills from.
During my PhD, I would say I’ve learnt just as much from my advisor and professors as I have from fellow co-workers and students.
- Getting involved in causes and projects I am passionate about.
Being a part of Columbia has provided with me opportunities to not only carry out my research, but to get involved in the wider community.
Since last year, I have been involved as a co-chair of the planning committee of Girl Science Day, a daylong program of hands-on activities for middle school girls, led by science graduate students and postdoctoral researchers at Columbia, that takes place twice a year on our campus.
I have always felt strongly about empowering underrepresented minorities in STEM, so working along a bunch of energetic PhD students to put the day together has been a great experience. Seeing these girls gasp at chemistry demonstrations, laugh while making bouncy polymer balls and await impatiently for their circuit LED to flash reminded me of many of the reasons why I first fell in love with science in school, and how lucky I am to share this with others.
- Taking advantage of living in New York City!
Doing my PhD has of course also brought me to New York City, which has been a whole adventure of its own. I’ve enjoyed exploring the city during my weekends and am still in awe of how much it has to offer.
What do you wish you’d known when you started your PhD?
There will be many days and weeks of when it will be hard to feel like you’ve made tangible progress. I struggled with this feeling when I started, and often felt impatient that I was taking too long to advance in my project.
“Progress in a PhD takes time, resilience and consistency.”
Only after talking to many peers did I realise that this is a normal feeling in research – there is a reason it takes several years to do a PhD, after all! When experiments don’t work out, I try to look at the situation as a learning experience and build upon what I have learnt to make progress.
Of course, often this is easier said than done, but realising failure is a part of the process when doing a PhD can be a helpful thing to remind oneself of.
Have you found your PhD stressful? If so, how have you handled the stress?
Not in general, but there have been moments of stress throughout, which I think is not unusual.
Most of the stress in my experience has come from the fact that PhD is different from an undergraduate degree or an industrial job where there is a set ‘checklist’ or ‘to do list’ you can easily measure your performance against.
It’s hard at times to gauge whether you are ‘on track’ or what that really looks like. Scientific research also involves a large amount of failure and building upon it to ultimately progress, and it can be demoralising to look on a week of failed experiments. It’s easy to fall into impostor syndrome, which is something I have continuously struggled with since I started my PhD.
I have spoked to many of my peers about these issues and everyone finds different ways to overcome these challenges.
I find it helpful to keep updated lists of long and short term goals in my research to continuously track my progress. Discussing these issues with peers is also helpful in my experience, as most PhD students go through some of the same types of stress and sharing can make one feel less isolated in them.
Finally, and very importantly, remember there is life outside of research! I run, practice yoga and read to unwind. Everyone has different ways to keep sane, just make sure you are disciplined and put aside time to do those activities to re-energise.
Do you have any advice or tips you’d like to share?
- Be organised about data, notetaking and tracking progress.
I find it very important to draw parallels and connections between publications I read, concepts I learn in class, seminar talks I hear etc, to think about how my research fits in a broader context and develop ideas of new directions to explore in the future, so I’ve come up with a way of note-taking that facilitates this.
I also set some time aside on Monday mornings to write down weekly research goals, which helps me keep focused throughout the week. Again, everyone is different in how they approach this, but establishing a system that works for you can save you a lot of time in the long run.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help, to your supervisor and wider network.
If you are struggling to understand a concept, interpret a set of data or find direction in research, make use of the people around you to help. Of course, your advisor is your first go-to, but there are usually multiple people in your network who can help you out.
I’ve reached out to multiple professors in my institution, collaborators, fellow PhD students in my department and even researchers I met on conference with both very specific and broader questions pertaining to multiple aspects of my research, and it has been immensely helpful.
Usually, people are happy to and excited to share their knowledge and refer you to helpful resources if necessary.
- Make sure you make time for life outside of lab!
A PhD does require a lot of time and energy, but in my perspective, it’s important to recognise that your PhD is not your whole life. You can be a successful PhD student and enjoy practicing multiple hobbies, socialise travel, etc.
Having a work life balance that works for you will keep you sane!
PhD Completion and Beyond
Do you know yet what you would like to do after you finish your PhD?
At this point, I am still keeping my options open, but am hoping to have a career in the area of energy storage.
I am considering going into academia, which I think would be an incredible opportunity to stay at the forefront of research in this area, as well as mentor and teach, which are both things I am passionate about. However, there are many other opportunities I would be excited to pursue, including working in a National Laboratory or a larger research institution as a program manager or staff scientist.
Thankfully I still have a few more years to find my path and am open to changes in plans. After all, not so long ago I never thought I’d find myself pursuing a PhD!
In hindsight would you choose to do a PhD again?
Definitely! Whenever people ask me if I’m happy doing my PhD I say that 95% of the days, I have the best job in the world. I get to learn something new every day, ask questions and discover new things about a subject I am passionate about. I am surrounded by a bunch of brilliant and energised people who I get to learn from.
Of course, there is the 5% of long days of failed experiments and confusing data sets, but I always try to tell myself, if there isn’t some degree of questioning and failure involved, it probably isn’t scientific research.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed reading about Sara’s PhD journey so far. A reminder that you can find Sara online at LinkedIn and Twitter. Has reading this inspired you to do a PhD? Or given a useful piece of advice you can implement? Let us know! It’s always lovely to hear how these stories help people.
If you’d like to share your own journey with us all please do get in touch. I want to make these as diverse as possible.
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