{"590915":{"#nid":"590915","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Meet 2017 Spring Graduate Charles Wang","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/foxflo.github.io\/\u0022\u003ECharles Wang\u003C\/a\u003E was enjoying success in science long before he set foot on Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s campus. When he was at at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.waltonhigh.org\/\u0022\u003EWalton High School\u003C\/a\u003E in Marietta, Georgia, his \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.energy.gov\/wdts\/nsb\/\u0022\u003EScience Bowl\u003C\/a\u003E team made three appearances at the national finals.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, as he departs Tech, he\u0026rsquo;ll be leaving with two Bachelor of Science degrees, in Chemistry and Computer Science. He will have almost as many credits as a mathematics major after discovering a love for math during his time at Tech. He\u0026rsquo;ll pursue that newfound passion as a Ph.D. student in math at the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.berkeley.edu\/\u0022\u003EUniversity of California, Berkeley\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWang is also the recipient of the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.cos.gatech.edu\/hg\/item\/590779\u0022\u003E2017 Love Family Foundation Scholarship\u003C\/a\u003E, the highest award for a graduating senior, and the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/osfa.gatech.edu\/robert-pierotti-memorial-scholarship\u0022\u003ERobert A. Pierotti Memorial Scholarship\u003C\/a\u003E, presented to a College of Sciences senior who excels in academics and research.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAn\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mdjonline.com\/news\/walton-whiz-kids-head-to-science-bowl\/article_41a2eaf0-b635-5a0c-b9f1-a8b8083c0da5.html\u0022\u003E interview\u003C\/a\u003E from Wang\u0026rsquo;s high school days hinted at such stellar achievement. Wang said he started doing Science Bowls because his classmates \u0026ldquo;just kind of dragged me into it, and once I started, I couldn\u0026rsquo;t really stop.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat attracted you to Georgia Tech?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2028Georgia Tech has been very affordable thanks to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.finaid.gatech.edu\/hope-scholarship-zell-miller-scholarship-overview\u0022\u003EHOPE\/Zell Miller Scholarship\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp; I\u0026rsquo;ve been able to acquire an excellent education without much financial hardship. I also took classes at Tech during high school, which helped me make the transition between high school and college. Georgia Tech is also very good academically. \u2028\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow would you describe your life before enrolling in Georgia Tech? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2028I participated in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.energy.gov\/wdts\/nsb\/\u0022\u003EScience Bowl\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.soinc.org\/\u0022\u003EScience Olympiad\u003C\/a\u003E in high school, and I took \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/admission.gatech.edu\/freshman\/advanced-course-credit\u0022\u003EAP science and chemistry\u003C\/a\u003E courses at Georgia Tech. I have always been fairly certain that I wanted to go to graduate school, and attending Georgia Tech has confirmed this for me. My hobbies include playing instruments (violin, piano, guitar), singing, and outdoor activities such as hiking. \u2028\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is the most important thing you learned at Georgia Tech? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2028The most important academic lesson has been to prioritize and enjoy learning, rather than optimizing every little detail to try to boost my grade. Ironically, when I worried less about my grades, I seemed to do better. It took me a while, but I realized this approach applied generally to life. I tend to worry so much about optimizing every little detail that I didn\u0026rsquo;t have time to stop and enjoy things.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech exceeded my expectations in a particularly important way: I have always been impressed by the willingness and availability of professors to meet with me.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat surprised or disappointed you the most about Georgia Tech?\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2028I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to interact with professors. While Georgia Tech is a large school, I have never felt lost in the crowd. I could always get help if I needed it.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2028My only complaint is something always seems to be under construction on campus, but this is a minor nuisance.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u0026rsquo;m sure I could find things to be disappointed about, but I don\u0026rsquo;t really feel the need to look for disappointment.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhich professor(s) or class(es) made a big impact on you?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDuring my second year, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/janata\/jiri%20(art)\u0022\u003EArt Janata\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/faculty\/josowicz\/\u0022\u003EMira Josowicz\u003C\/a\u003E invited me to join their research group. This was my first research experience, and I learned a lot \u0026ndash; 99% being stuck and frustrated, and 1% success \u0026ndash; that motivated me to pursue graduate studies.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/ying-xiao-3b3a2b18\u0022\u003EYing Xiao\u003C\/a\u003E, a graduate teaching assistant for a \u0026nbsp;computer science class, created extremely challenging homework problems for my algorithms class and expected nothing but the best from each student. Because of his efforts, I discovered my interest in math.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough I never took a class with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.math.gatech.edu\/people\/sung-ha-kang\u0022\u003ESung Ha Kang\u003C\/a\u003E, she helped me with many problems and gave me a lot of good advice for school and life in general.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.math.gatech.edu\/people\/josephine-yu\u0022\u003EJosephine Yu\u003C\/a\u003E has been my teacher and research mentor for almost two years. Her tireless, patient instruction and supervision has helped me overcome many obstacles, and her constant support has encouraged me to do things I never would have imagined.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is your most vivid memory of Georgia Tech?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2028I have two particular memories.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe first is publishing my first \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/1606.01814\u0022\u003Epaper\u003C\/a\u003E. It was the culmination of about a year of work and frustration, and I was overjoyed to see my efforts pay off. The sense of closure that came with submitting the paper was extremely rewarding.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe second is receiving my acceptance to do a Ph.D. at the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.berkeley.edu\/\u0022\u003EUniversity of California, Berkeley\u003C\/a\u003E, \u0026nbsp;which has always been one of my dream schools.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u2028\u003Cstrong\u003EIf you participated in experiential learning activities, what was the most valuable outcome of your experience?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EI participated in undergraduate research for four years (two in chemistry, two in math) and studied abroad in Hungary with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/oie.gatech.edu\/content\/hungary-bsm-budapest-math-exchange-program\u0022\u003EBudapest Semesters in Mathematics\u003C\/a\u003E program.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor my chemistry project, I studied the deposition of atomic gold clusters onto polyaniline. I gained experience in experimental design, mechanical engineering, and electrochemistry.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor my math projects, I studied a family of polytopes, which can be thought of as generalizations of polygons in higher dimensions. I learned a lot of math during this project, including how to write scientifically and use literature effectively.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMy math classes in Hungary were crucial in my decision to study mathematics rather than chemistry, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of living in Hungary for a semester.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOn the basis of your experience, what advice would you give to incoming freshmen at Georgia Tech?\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2028\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech offers many amazing opportunities, but they\u0026rsquo;re not going to come to you. You have to go after what you want in order to get it.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe undergraduate years are the best for exploration, academically and socially.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0026rsquo;s not enough to do well in easy classes and excel at easy tasks. Get out of your comfort zone as often as possible \u0026ndash; without burning out \u0026ndash; and don\u0026rsquo;t be afraid to admit that you don\u0026rsquo;t know how to do something.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat feedback would you give to Georgia Tech to improve the campus experience for future students?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2028We all have to remember that people who perform badly are not bad people. We should strive to be understanding and tolerant of everyone.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOne thing that helped me was feeling that other people believed in my ability to succeed. The support of others helped me overcome self-doubt.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhere are you headed after graduation? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2028I will go to graduate school to pursue a Ph.D in mathematics at the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.berkeley.edu\/\u0022\u003EUniversity of California, Berkeley\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech has prepared me by giving me a very good education in math and giving me many opportunities to perform research; attend seminars, conferences, and workshops; and take interesting and challenging classes. \u2028\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Advice to new students: Explore your world, challenge yourself"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe scientific success Charles Wang showed in high school\u0026nbsp;continued at Georgia Tech, where Wang will receive two degrees and top academic honors.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Charles Wang leaves Georgia Tech with two degrees and top academic honors."}],"uid":"34434","created_gmt":"2017-04-25 18:01:40","changed_gmt":"2018-02-12 18:23:49","author":"Renay San Miguel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-05-04T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2017-05-04T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"590916":{"id":"590916","type":"image","title":"Charles Wang","body":null,"created":"1493143496","gmt_created":"2017-04-25 18:04:56","changed":"1493143496","gmt_changed":"2017-04-25 18:04:56","alt":"","file":{"fid":"225145","name":"Charles Wang.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Charles%20Wang_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Charles%20Wang_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":74641,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Charles%20Wang_0.jpg?itok=3wP1szJa"}}},"media_ids":["590916"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.cos.gatech.edu\/hg\/item\/590779","title":"Charles Wang Receives Love Family Foundation Scholarship"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.cos.gatech.edu\/hg\/item\/590910","title":"College of Sciences Celebrates Spring 2017 Student Awardees"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"1279","name":"School of Mathematics"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166928","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"174115","name":"Charles Wang"},{"id":"174183","name":"Walton High School"},{"id":"174184","name":"Science Bowl"},{"id":"174185","name":"2017 Love Family Foundation Scholarship"},{"id":"174186","name":"Robert A. Pierotti Memorial Scholarship"},{"id":"174164","name":"Hope Scholarships"},{"id":"174165","name":"Zell Miller Scholarships"},{"id":"170014","name":"Science Olympiad"},{"id":"174187","name":"AP Science"},{"id":"174188","name":"AP Chemistry"},{"id":"174189","name":"Art Janata"},{"id":"174190","name":"Mira Josowicz"},{"id":"174191","name":"Ying Xiao"},{"id":"174192","name":"Sung Ha Kang"},{"id":"174193","name":"Josephine Yu"},{"id":"174194","name":"Budapest Semesters in Mathematics"},{"id":"173647","name":"_for_math_site_"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERenay San Miguel\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Officer\/Science Writer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n404-894-5209\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["renay.san@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}