The Women in Engineering series hosted by the Westlake University School of Engineering invited Prof. Yu Huang, Traugott and Dorothea Frederking Endowed Chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at UCLA, to speak and share her extraordinary journey in science on Nov. 29.

Hailing from the city of Fuzhou in Fujian, Huang exuded an aura of quiet brilliance and gentle warmth. With an unassuming demeanor, she left a lasting impression on those fortunate enough to encounter her. After graduating from Gezhi High School in Fuzhou in 1994, she embarked on her academic odyssey, entering the Department of Chemistry at the University of Science and Technology of China. Afterwards, Huang went to Harvard to deepen her research. In 2001, she employed a creative fusion of liquid flow dynamics and directional changes to assemble nanoscale electronic wires into circuits. Science hailed this work as “the major breakthrough of the year” in 2001, as it laid the foundation for the making of complex micro electronic devices. At UCLA, Huang’s research interests center around two intertwined goals: creating complex materials structures with nanoscale precision using chemical and biological approaches; and studying the new physical properties (optical, magnetic, electrical, and even catalytic properties) that arise in these new nanoscale architectures. Her pioneering work in the design and application of catalysts for hydrogen fuel cells won her the prestigious ENI Energy Prize in 2023.

The Women in Engineering event took the form of a Q&A where Huang answered questions from a dozen Westlakers on research, life choices and career.

1. Research and Key Performance Indicators

“What is your view of research that has yet to produce tangible outcomes? Is it more important to achieve the key performance indicators, or to research things that interest you? How do you regain confidence in the face of failure?”

Huang’s research focuses on the nature and application of nanostructures with sizes ranging from 1 to 100 nanometers. Extremely small materials can be uncontrollable. For her, failure and the absence of concrete results are constant challenges that cast a shadow on her work. Yet rather than being consumed by anxiety and insecurity, Huang takes a more positive approach:

"If you find it doesn't work after doing it, just make some adjustments."

“I have a genuine passion for nanostructure research and I am willing to devote my time and energy to it. I also categorize the projects at hand. About 30% of my projects are dedicated to meeting the key performance indicators, while the remaining 70% align with my personal interests. Finally, failure is normal. What we need to do is to distill experience from our failures and better prepare ourselves for the next attempt,” Huang said.

Huang’s radiant disposition was perhaps a testament to her resilience. Whenever she runs into a problem, she tackles it head on, not worrying about the outcome.

2. Facing challenges and gaining respect

The questions then turned to Huang’s life as a female scientist.

A student asked, “People say that a female scientist would need to work 10 times or even 100 times harder than her male colleagues to achieve the same success. What’s your view?”

Huang had spent 24 years living in the US. She did her Ph.D. at Harvard, and postdoctoral research at MIT and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory before becoming a professor at UCLA.

“When I first joined UCLA, the older buildings would only have a women’s restroom on every other floor. This shows that the percentage of women on their faculty back then was very small indeed. As a female researcher and team leader, quite likely I’d be working with an all-male team. It could be challenging to lead in this situation.”

And Huang found her own way around the obstacles.

First of all, stay calm. When being challenged or provoked, she avoided being dragged into the drama. Huang would keep her cool and focus on the what mattered.

After that, look for a solution. Huang encouraged herself to adhere to the belief that she knew how to solve a problem and do it well. In the end, a good solution would always win respect.

In order to do both, one needs a calm mind, the ability to control one’s emotions, and a deep and broad perspective. In other words, becoming stronger is the answer.

3. How to be with students

A principal investigator asked, “What do you look for when interviewing Ph.D. students?”

“Interest and passion,” Huang said. “It matters to me that the students work on what they are truly passionate about.”

Huang shared her own story as a postdoctoral researcher. Changing her research direction as a postdoc meant a new beginning, potentially a painful one because her previous research and experience wouldn’t count much. But for Huang, it was worth it, for she got to follow her curiosity and passion.

Another principal investigator asked, “What do you do with students who procrastinate?”

Huang showed empathy in her response. “Sometimes a lack of inspiration could lead to tardiness in their work, or perhaps the experiment is flawed from the beginning. As advisors, we not only need to keep our eyes on the deadline, but also provide guidance, authentic consideration, and instruction. Then again, if the tardiness is caused by their attitude, then perhaps we need to help them to reconsider if this really is the right research area for them.”

4. Female researchers and motherhood

Motherhood is an unavoidable topic for female researchers. A Ph.D. candidate raised her question toward the end of the event.

“What’s your take on the dilemma between female researchers pursuing their career and missing the window for having children? Did you delay having children for research?”

“I was a young mother with my first child, so much so that my colleagues were surprised to find out about my pregnancy. Back then, few would choose to have children when they just started working as a postdoc or assistant professor,” Huang said.

Huang provided her perspective for those who hesitated to become mothers: After having children, women would need to manage exponentially more. Women could grow stronger and become more empathetic from dealing with such chaos. It could also be a source of strength if used well at work.

Huang believed that men should acknowledge the sacrifice their partners made and take on more housework. On the social level, mothers needed more support, better understanding, and better inclusivity.

Huang’s talk greatly inspired the Westlakers. Some of them said that Huang proved that a woman could do well in science and even become a leading expert in nanomaterial. She proved that being strong would win respect, and she proved that a mother could also achieve greatness.