UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Yu-Jen Chiu has been selected as the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences student marshal for the University’s fall 2020 virtual commencement ceremony. The ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. EST, Dec. 19.
Chiu, a Schreyer Scholar, is graduating with a 3.99 GPA, earning a bachelor of science degree in materials science and engineering.
“I felt more than honored to be recognized by the college and University,” Chiu said. “To be selected as the college’s student marshal is a great achievement that will make my family proud.”
Chiu has been honored with numerous awards and scholarships, including the Penn State Metallurgy Alumni Scholarship, the Matthew J. Wilson Honors Scholarship, the Frances Hamilton Byers Scholarship, the Rosemarie C. and Howard R. Peier Scholarship, the Norris B. McFarlane Scholarship and the George W. Brindley Award in Nonmetallic Crystal Chemistry. She also was awarded the Evan Pugh Scholar Junior Award in 2019, given to juniors who are in the upper 0.5 percent of their class.
Chiu was involved in undergraduate research and worked in with Lauren Zarzar, assistant professor of chemistry, investigating the active behavior of microscale oil droplets in an aqueous micellar system. She also received an Erickson Discovery Fellowship for the research project, “Orientational Effects on Complex Emulsion Droplet Chemotactic Interactions.”
“My undergraduate honors thesis research focused on the study of environmental tunability of micelle facilitated Janus emulsion droplet swimming motion via chemotactic interactions,” Chiu said.
Chiu selected Zarzar as her faculty marshal.
“I joined the Zarzar research group in the fall of 2017,” Chiu said. “Not only is she one of the smartest professors I know but also one of the most caring. When I had doubts in myself or my future, I knew I could always turn to her for advice and support.”
Chiu was a member of Penn State’s chapter of Material Advantage, a society for students interested in materials science and engineering.
After graduating, Chiu plans to continue her education and research at a university as a doctoral student. Her goal is to ultimately work as a research scientist at the university level.
“The friendship and research experience I gained at Penn State is important to me, and I will take those memories along with me after graduation, Chiu said. “I am thankful that I was able to meet my best friends and be part of an awesome research group. I would not be able to receive this honor if not for their support and encouragement throughout my journey at Penn State.”
A native of Taichung, Taiwan, Chiu is the daughter of Li-Chuan Hsiao and Chien-Sheng Chiu.