Featured ERC Student: Sebastian Husein

Sebastian Husein, an Arizona State University graduate student at the ASU-based QESST ERC (Quantum Energy and Sustainable Solar Technologies), won the 2017 ERC Program-wide “Perfect Pitch” contest held in Alexandria, Virginia. He took home the $5,000 first prize and the Lynn Preston trophy for his talk on "Solar Optimized Kit for Emergency Deployment."

Sebastian is a doctoral student in the School for Matter, Transport, and Energy at Arizona State University, seeking a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering. He is currently studying transparent conducting oxide layers for applications in solar energy, specifically photovoltaic devices, and is improving his expertise in fabrication of thin-films and characterization of their optical and electrical properties. Sebastian has a passion for solar energy and is excited to see its diverse forms applied to tackle society’s needs. He is involved in outreach activities through the QESST ERC to educate elementary and high school students about STEM career opportunities while highlighting the possibilities of studying renewable energy. In his spare time, he enjoys soccer with his labmates, hiking, follows several podcast streams, and is recording his own podcast, called PodQESST, with a fellow QESST student. There they interview other grad students about their hopes, dreams, and the all-too-frequent nightmares faced and conquered in research work.

For his own future career, Sebastian is highly interested in science policy and will pursue one of the Science & Technology Policy Fellowships offered by AAAS upon completion of his dissertation.

 

 

 Sebastian Husein, winner of the 2017 ERC-wide Perfect Pitch contest, with the $5000 first-prize check and Lynn Preston trophy, presented by Ms. Preston with QESST Center Director Christiana Honsberg. (Credit: ASEE)