Senior in Specialized Chemistry
Hometown: Warrenville, IL
Research Project: Design of Bimetallic Nanoparticle Catalysts for Visible-Light-Driven Carbon Dioxide Reduction
Faculty Sponsor: Prof. Prashant Jain

Maya chose Illinois because of the groundbreaking research being performed in many different fields of study, as well as the diversity of the student body. She felt confident that she would be able to pursue research opportunities in any area that interested her. She was also very excited to meet fellow students from many different backgrounds and to enrich her undergraduate experience.

She always seeks out opportunities to meet other women in science and engineering fields and discuss their areas of interest. The Clare Boothe Luce program stood out as an excellent way to meet such women, giving her the opportunity to learn from them and become further inspired to excel in her own work.

She has also done research off campus at Fermilab as an undergraduate researcher for two summers. Outside of research work, she is involved with various organizations on campus. She has served as president of Honors Student Council and is a member of the ACS UIUC Student Chapter. She is also an active member of the Illinois Space Society, where she does avionics and payload work for large rocketry technical projects.

Some fun facts about Maya: she has a black belt in karate and enjoys playing the violin. She spends her free time reading, working out, and getting boba with friends.

After graduation, she is attending MIT to pursue a PhD in chemistry.