UAlbany PhD Student: My Journey from Game Boy to Nanoscale Engineering
Justin Nhan’s interest in engineering stemmed from playing on handheld game consoles as a child.
He was fascinated by the tiny electronics inside of the consoles and how they fueled games like Pokémon. Then came the Iron Man movie franchise featuring the gadget-wearing, tech-savvy protagonist Tony Stark. In Nhan’s eyes, engineering became cool and aspirational.
Now in his 20s, he’s channeling his inner Tony Stark as he conducts research and pursues a PhD in nanoscale engineering at the University at Albany’s College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering (CNSE), with a focus on extreme ultraviolet lithography. It’s a challenge he doesn’t take lightly.
Inside an R&D complex
Indeed, Nhan seems indefatigable inside the NY Creates Albany NanoTech Complex, home of CNSE’s Department of Nanoscale Science & Engineering. When he’s not researching in a lab, he’s talking to professors, attending industry talks and presenting to visiting high school students.
His days are long, but he remains excited, gracious and willing to take on more. Why? Because he sees the big picture: “The work I put in every single day here in the lab will ultimately go into shaping and creating new technologies to make our world a better place for everyone.”
Nhan shared his story in a video that highlights the advantages of studying in an R&D complex that’s also home to global companies like Tokyo Electron Limited and IBM.