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September 06, 2004 Vol 75, no. 2F
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ME professor Lydia Sohn has been teaching at Berkeley since 2003.
She came to Berkeley after teaching physics for eight years at
Princeton University. She made the move to Berkeley because she
wanted to change the course of her research. Here, she is delving
into a new aspect of nanoscale research and developing ultrasensitive
devices that sense and differentiate molecules. The goal is to
produce chips that allow researchers to isolate single, living
cells and observe them in real time. Looking at the cells while
they are still alive and intact inside the human body can give
researchers important clues on how these cells communicate with
one another.
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Professor
Minute with ME professor Lydia Sohn
What do you do to forget
about engineering?
I often will head into the kitchen to bake or cook something. I’ll
also pick up my camera, jump into my car, and start taking pictures
of people and places. Sitting in front of my favorite paintings at the
MoMA or the Met in New York City or simply watching the sun set often
does the trick too!
What is your personal recipe for success?
Having passion for what I do still remains my personal recipe for success.
How can a student get through your hardest class?
I would encourage a student to ask lots of questions in class. A student
would be surprised to learn how many of his or her peers have the same
question. I would also encourage a student to come to my office hours
and to read beyond class notes and books.
Why did you become a professor?
I love interacting with students. They often bring a new perspective
to a particular problem I may be working on in the lab. Teaching courses
also keeps me on my toes and prevents me from getting stale. Finally,
having the freedom to pursue my own interests in the lab (of course
getting funding to support these interests is another topic) is a great
reason to be a professor.
If you would like
us to feature your favorite professor, please email his or her name
to editnews@coe.berkeley.edu.
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