Erica in front of her fume hood

Photo by Anne McNeil

I don't remember how old I was; I don't even remember where exactly we went. But, one night when I was little, my dad woke me in the middle of night. We got in the car and started down the driveway. When I asked where we were going my father would say only that it was a surprise. As I watched the canopy of illuminated trees go by, I remember the excitement of being part of a secret expedition. After what seemed like ages, we arrived. My memory of the outer building has faded, but inside we joined a queue. At the head of the line, inside a little domed room, I was invited to look into a small eyepiece. Through it I saw a little fuzzy orange circle. Mars.

As favorable oppositions of Mars happen only every 15-17 years, this must have been the one of 1988. The place would have been Princeton University's Peyton Observatory, which is near my hometown. I don't remember much else about what happened, but the thrill of looking through the telescope and seeing that fuzzy orange circle remained vivid. I have no doubt that, though only 5, I understood what I was seeing. Both my parents received their degrees in the physical sciences and science was part of my upbringing from my earliest years. My mother says that during car rides she use to quiz me, confined to my car seat, on a materials status as solid, liquid or gas. At that time, astronomy was a particular favorite of mine, and I would have been familiar with both Mars and telescopes from the astronomy primers my parents bought me even before I could properly read.

Since that night my passion for science has gone through many phases. From wanting to be an astronomer, I decided maybe marine biology was more my style. When I first learned about bizarre effects of travel near light speed, theoretical physics sparked my interest. I even checked books on Einstein's theories out of the library. As an eighth-grader I tried to tackle Richard Feynman's Six Easy Pieces, and Brian Greene's The Elegant Universe. The tide turned again when I entered high school and found a mentor in my chemistry teacher.
College opened up a richer, increasingly nuanced perception of science for me. I started working on research after my first year and became a chemistry major my sophomore year. During college I also participated in an internship program at a major pharmaceutical company.

I decided to attend graduate school because I admired my professors' intellectual agility, chemical intuition, and creative thinking. I have always hoped to work on problems that affect people on a daily basis and using what I know to improve their lives. One of my favorite stories is about scientists who worked to formulate lead-free glazes for traditional Mexican potters. Today I am still working toward that goal as a chemistry graduate student at the University of Michigan.

Erica is a graduate student studying organic-materials chemistry at the University of Michigan. She would love to answer any questions readers may have, so please feel free to send or post them. She can be reached by email at 27nickel@gmail.com