Chen Zhang traces her passion for electric power systems to a blackout when she was 6 years old. The power outage cut the TV connection just as she was in the middle of watching her favorite cartoon. Frustrated and puzzled, she spent the rest of the day quizzing her grandmother and parents about where electricity came from and how it supported the different household appliances.
Now a third-year mechanical engineering Ph.D. student at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, Zhang continues to ask tough questions about electricity generation — but she also aims to be part of solutions that focus on sustainable and accessible renewable energy.
“It was really refreshing to finally come to campus in person after one year of studying remotely with a 15-hour time difference,” said Chen Zhang.
Growing up in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong, Zhang was immersed in traditional…
