When you first enrolled into your undergrad, did you have a career or path in mind?
Honestly, not really. I finished high school knowing that I enjoyed science and programming, so I wanted to study towards a career in that general direction. When I enrolled at UC, I took the first-year courses required to major in four different subjects (maths, physics, chemistry, computer science) because I couldn’t decide what I wanted to do. I was really happy with the flexibility the BSc provided for someone like me who didn’t have life planned out. I cut computer science in my second year to make room for the other subjects, although I had to take five papers a semester to make things work. I’m really glad I did the extra papers, because it was through a chemistry course (CHEM 251) that I discovered the field I’m pursuing today. One of the assignments in CHEM 251 was to research an emerging technology, and I happened to be assigned the topic of perovskite solar cells. I was fascinated by the potential of these solar cells for combatting climate change. I realised that renewable energy research was the perfect way to pair my love for science with my goal to contribute to climate change solutions. I began my third year fully focussed on physics and maths, so that I could develop the skills for a career in renewable energy approaching problems from the fundamental physics side. In the end, I discovered the career path I wanted to pursue near the end of my degree, rather than having a career in mind from the start.
What memories or experiences from your time at UC have stuck with you?
There are so many, it’s hard to choose what to write here. Living at Rochester and Rutherford Hall in my first year was fantastic and helped guide me from being a shy, nervous high schooler to independent and motivated adult. Most of my best friends are people I lived alongside at R&R, and I still keep in regular contact with them – a little tricky sometimes with the 12ish hour time difference to the UK.
One of my defining UC experiences was the Explore Beijing programme in 2019. Me and nine other students from across UC had the opportunity to immerse ourselves in Chinese language and culture at Peking University for six weeks. It was my first time outside of NZ or Australia and it showed me how naïve I was about the world. I used to think that there was no NZ culture, and that we lived “normally”. Beijing showed me how wrong I was; it opened my eyes to how differently people around the world live and taught me just as much about kiwi culture as Chinese culture. Sharing this learning experience with the friends I made and getting to explore incredible places like the Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors, and Great Wall of China made these six weeks unforgettable.
I can’t forget to mention the UC club experience. I was a member of the UC hockey club for all of my undergrad, and I had a great time meeting people while playing the sport I love. I also went along to the events for other clubs like UC badminton and the Student Volunteer Army, but it wasn’t until I started my MSc that I took on my first exec position with the SVA. I loved the positive impact the club had on the local community – not just for getting trees planted, but for connecting students with the people of Christchurch. I had a great time at events like the Big Give and Connect the Community, but my highlight was our camp in Hokitika, because I was able to see part of NZ I had never explored while getting to know so many amazing volunteers.
Other important memories of my time at UC were:
- Working at Bishop Julius Hall as a Residential Assistant
- Learning and playing badminton
- A final pizza celebration by the honour’s year physicists after our last exam together
- Completing the Coast-to-Coast 2017 with my friend Cory, who I met at R&R
- Tramping in the South Island with friends
Can you tell us about how you came to be studying at Oxford?
Oxford had been a dream for me for a couple of years before I finally arrived here. That dream started in the 2018, when I did a Summer research programme at the Australian National University. There, my Summer project supervisor invited me to meet one of her visiting collaborators, Professor Michael Johnston of the University of Oxford. Michael told me about the research his group conducts, where they use cutting edge spectroscopy techniques to study solar cells and nanowires. This research had pushed our fundamental understanding of how solar cell materials work and helped drive the rapid improvement in perovskite solar cell performance. I was fascinated and decided there and then that I wanted to join Michael’s research group at the University of Oxford. Over the next few years I worked to get the grades I needed, and applied for scholarships like the Rhodes in 2019, with the hope of starting at Oxford in 2020. I made it to a couple of interviews but ultimately didn’t secure the funding I’d need to study at Oxford (or any other overseas Uni I was considering). I was devastated, but not discouraged from my dream. I started my MSc at UC with the plan to apply for Oxford again. I had a lot of support with my second round of applications from my MSc supervisor, Professor Simon Brown, and people like Professor Jenni Adams and Professor Ekant Veer who ran workshops for Rhodes scholarship interviews. And then, in December 2020, I was told I was being awarded the generous Lord Rutherford Memorial Research Fellowship which would fund my PhD and living expenses. I contacted Professor Michael Johnston to say I had funding secured and wanted to join his research group. He helped me with the process of being accepted into the University of Oxford and, in October of 2021, I finally made it to Oxford to begin my PhD in Condensed Matter Physics. Now I get to live my dream and pursue a career I’m passionate about, thanks to the culmination of years of work and incredible support from everyone around me.
What does your research involve?
I focus on the characterisation of new materials, typically nanowires or perovskites for use in solar cells. Here, characterisation means determining the important properties of a material, such as its durability, conductivity, or efficiency at absorbing light. I achieve this with the powerful technique of terahertz (THz) spectroscopy, which involves passing THz frequency light (somewhere between microwave and infrared light) through our material and observing how the light is changed by the material. We can calculate many of the key properties of interest with this technique.
So far, I have mainly been learning how to conduct THz spectroscopy measurements and how to accurately interpret the results. Now that I have a good grasp of the technique, I use it to measure the properties of solar cell materials made by other researchers. Typically, they will have made a series of materials with a small change between each one. This way, we can investigate the impact of this change on the efficiency and durability of the solar cells, and hopefully inspire ways to improve the next round of materials.
I also do a lot of work trying to improve THz spectroscopy and the methods we use to interpret the results. For example, I went to my first conference to present my research on more efficient emitters of THz light for our spectrometers, and now I’m working on a paper about how the size of a material impacts the results of a THz spectroscopy measurement. I still have two years left, but by the end I hope my research will have improved the accuracy of our measurements and helped to optimise the performance of solar cells and emerging technologies like nanowires.
Do you have any goals in mind or things you would like to experience over the next few years while you are in the UK?
Of course! I’m in the midst of this once in a lifetime opportunity, so I want to meet as many incredible, interesting people as possible and to say yes to everything. I want to enjoy some of the classic Oxford experiences, like punting on the Thames river and exploring as many of the beautiful colleges and libraries as I can. I also want to get more involved with sport clubs such as the cross-country and badminton clubs this year. Naturally, most of my time will go towards my PhD. My biggest goals are to submit my thesis by the end of 2024 and to have a job lined up at a research institute where I can continue my work on renewables. I also aim to present my research at a few international conferences (I have my eyes on one in Canada at the moment!) over the next two years.
One of the most exciting things about being in the UK is finally being close to dozens of unique countries. I want to travel as much as I can to see the different cultures and history of Europe. Germany has really caught my eye so far, so much so that I’m now (slowly) learning German. I’ve been told by many people that I need to learn to ski so I can fully experience the European alps, so I guess that’s on my list too.
Check out Ford Wagner, one of our Ones to Watch profiles in our 150th Alumni Showcase here.
