People Spotlights
All Spotlights
- Postdoc, Computing and Mathematical Sciences
Xingxing Zuo
Before joining Caltech as a postdoc in January 2024, I had the pleasure of working as a full-time research scientist at Google. My academic journey led me to get my doctoral degree from Zhejiang University, China, in 2021, followed by a Postdoc position at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) from 2021 to 2023. My research interests are centered around robotic perception and 3D computer vision. I am passionate about advancing the perceptual and spatial intelligence of mobile robots by harnessing the potential of combining data-driven deep neural networks with the principles of state estimation. My long-term aspiration is to empower robots with human-level perception and intelligence. At Caltech, I am fortunate to be co-advised by two distinguished professors: Professor Soon-Jo Chung, an expert in the field of robotics, and Professor Georgia Gkioxari, a renowned figure in computer vision. I am eagerly looking forward to engaging with the fantastic research opportunities that lie ahead and contributing to the vibrant scientific community at Caltech.
- Graduate Student, Mechanical and Civil Engineering
Emily de Jong
I moved to Caltech from Princeton University in 2019, excited and nervous to enter the world of mechanical engineering and fluid mechanics after my ChemE undergraduate degree. Ultimately, I found myself studying very small-scale phenomena in the atmosphere—the liquid water and ice particles that make up a cloud, which are inherently challenging to model, yet crucial to Earth's climate and weather. I have always been interested in the dynamics and mathematics of complex physical systems related to energy and the environment, and learning and applying new mathematical and modeling techniques. Cloud microphysics has been the perfect topic to satisfy this curiosity while also contributing to our understanding of changes and feedback in the atmosphere in future climate scenarios. When I'm not deriving, coding, or writing at my desk, I go outside for "observational fieldwork," observing real clouds from a distance on my bicycling, climbing, and hiking adventures in the mountains.
- Graduate Student, Computing and Mathematical Sciences
Jiaqing Jiang
Hi there! I am a G3 in CMS. I am broadly interested in quantum information, especially in quantum algorithms and quantum complexity. Recently, I have become interested in finding potential quantum advantages for the local Hamiltonian problem, which is one of the most promising applications of quantum computers and is related to quantum chemistry and condensed matter physics. I also like solving math problems just for fun, purely enjoying the feeling of keeping focus. Before I came to Caltech, I obtained my master’s degree at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in computer science, and my bachelor's degree at Nankai University in Mathematics. Outside of research, I like playing games, reading books, hiking, and listening to music. I have also recently started learning guitar.
- Graduate Student, GALCIT
Michael Stramenga
I am a fourth-year Space Engineering PhD student in the Caltech Hypersonics Group under the guidance of Professor Joanna Austin. I received my BE in Mechanical Engineering and Management at McMaster University in 2020 before joining the Caltech community. My research involves running experiments in hypersonic flows that replicate the extreme environments spacecraft are exposed to as they reenter Earth's atmosphere. I conduct my experiments in Caltech’s T5 Reflected Shock Tunnel, which can produce freestream velocities up to 5 km/s! The data I collect from my experiments is used to improve predictive capabilities for hypersonic flight, leading to the design of safer spacecraft. Outside of lab, I enjoy playing guitar, skiing, scuba diving, and training towards my private pilot license. Having grown up in Canada, I also enjoy playing ice hockey if anyone wants to get a Caltech team started.
- Undergraduate Student, Computing and Mathematical Sciences
Alice Cheng
Hi! My areas of interest include observational astronomy/instrumentation and the intersection between astronomy and computer science. Through Caltech’s astrophysics program, I’ve had the opportunity to image galaxies and study variability of active galactic nuclei using the telescopes at Palomar Observatory. Through Caltech’s SURF program, I was able to travel to Copenhagen and work with the Cosmic Dawn Center to write an emulator for a popular software used by researchers to model interstellar clouds. On the computer science side, I’m curious about human-computer interaction and how it can be used to enhance access to resources, like education and medical care, across the world. At Caltech, I co-founded Product @ Caltech with fellow students, an organization which aims to introduce members of the Caltech community to product management via industry speakers, hands-on experience with start-ups, and skill workshops. I am also the treasurer of Caltech Dance Club, which hosts weekly dance classes on campus. After graduating, I hope to continue teaching, whether it is in an academic setting or as a mentor in industry. When I’m not too busy, you can find me learning new languages, dancing, playing with cats, or cooking.
- Fulbright Visiting Researcher, Mechanical and Civil Engineering
Isabella Fiorello
My name is Isabella Fiorello, and I'm a Principal Investigator of the Bioinspired Plant-hybrid Materials group at the Cluster of Excellence livMatS of the University of Freiburg (Germany). I received a master’s degree in industrial biotechnology (with honors) from the University of Turin (Italy) in 2017 and a PhD in biorobotics (with honors) from Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna (Pisa, Italy) in 2021. From 2021 to 2023, I worked as a Postdoc in the Bioinspired Soft Robotics Laboratory of the Italian Institute of Technology (Genoa, Italy). Since October 2023, I have been a Fulbright Visiting Researcher at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in the group of Prof. Chiara Daraio. During my scientific career, I received different grants and awards, such as the Young Researcher of the Year - ENI Award 2022 and the Early Career National Geographic Grant. My research aims at the development of biologically-inspired microfabricated living machines able to precisely interact with complex unstructured surfaces for applications in precision agriculture, space exploration, and soft robotics.