2024 Award

Azmain Hossain

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Graduate student researcher in the department of Applied Physics

Azmain is a third-year graduate student in Austin Minnich's group where he works on superconducting quantum devices. He is recognized for his extensive involvement in mentorship and educational outreach that has positively impacted the academic community at Caltech and beyond.

Azmain inspires middle and high school math students by mentoring and tutoring for the Young Legends program, an initiative under the San Gabriel Valley Section of the National Council of Negro Women.

On campus, Azmain has served as a mentor in many capacities, including the WAVE program, which supports summer undergraduate students from historically marginalized communities in STEM; Caltech's Graduate Student Research Institute (GSRI), aiding first-year graduate students from non-traditional backgrounds; and in the Caltech Connections program, where he mentored students from Pasadena City College.

Azmain's efforts have increased scientific literacy, programming skills, and research capabilities among students, and he has inspired his peers to engage in mentorship and outreach as well.

Learn more about Azmain from his recent interview with the KNI:

What is your research focus and areas of scientific interest? How has the KNI played a role in your research?

My research is on developing novel nanofabrication techniques for next generation superconducting quantum devices such as qubits and single photon detectors. I use the FlexAL in the KNI to deposit superconducting thin films for developing atomic layer etching (ALE) recipes. I also use several tools to characterize the film thickness and surface topography.

What brought you to Caltech for graduate school/postdoctoral appointment?

I was a part of Caltech's Future Ignited as an undergraduate student and I learned a lot about the different programs offered. I was especially attracted to the inter-departmental collaboration. Students were not limited to working with advisors only in their option and could interact with professors and students from many departments. I believe the collaborative nature leads to a deeper understanding of scientific problems, resulting in more robust solutions. This philosophy is what mainly attracted me to Caltech.

Please say a few words about your academic path. What about a STEM major was most appealing?

I became a physics major in community college because I loved learning something in math class and then applying it in my physics class. I wanted to keep learning more math and applying it to difficult problems. This led me to transferring to UCLA to pursue my B.S. in Physics. At UCLA, I worked on modeling the optical properties of 2D semiconductors. However, by the end of my undergraduate studies I wanted to do more hands-on projects on emerging technologies such as quantum information and detection. This desire to do experimental work on quantum devices guided me to nanofabrication research at Caltech.

What volunteer or community service-based work have you been involved in?

In community college, I worked as a math tutor and mentor for calculus 1 and pre-calculus students. This experience working with struggling students followed me even after I transferred. At UCLA, I became a mentor for potential and incoming transfers by joining Minorities in Physics and Astronomy. At Caltech, I continued my outreach efforts by tutoring minority middle school and high school students struggling in math, mentoring WAVE students, and mentoring minority graduate students as a GSRI mentor. I also mentored a community college student at PCC through Caltech Connections, where we worked on a research project and transfer applications. My mentee was able to publish earlier this year and is now transferring to Berkeley!

What inspired (and inspires) your continued involvement in outreach and mentorship?

Being an immigrant and the first in my family to go to university, I struggled to find my place in academics. However, while I was in community college, I was fortunate enough to work with a professor who helped me realize my potential in STEM. Just as I received support from mentors and faculty, I want to give back and share what I've learned with the next generation of students.

How do you balance your scientific workload and social responsibilities? What does your support network look like?

I struggled with work-life balance in my first year. As graduate students, I think we often find ourselves working odd hours as much as necessary to finish a project. I found that planning my experiments ahead of time and dedicating fixed hours per day to finishing my work helped. It made me more productive and feel less tired afterwards. Similarly, I like to have a fixed time in my weekly schedule to meet with mentees and chat with them.

My fiancée has supported me immensely. Being able to unwind while cooking, playing sports, and watching shows with her has helped me recharge whenever I am feeling down.

What was your experience of Caltech like when you first began here? How has the cultural landscape of campus changed (or not)? Are there any changes you'd like to see in Caltech's future, as it relates to inclusion, diversity, equity, or accessibility?

I was very intimidated when I started here. I had imposter syndrome and felt that everyone was much smarter than I was. Slowly I started to realize that everyone was talented in their own way and often most people are just as confused as you are.

I think Caltech has revamped old programs and started new mentorship programs since I have started, such as GSRI and Caltech Connection. I've enjoyed being involved in the SFP office and KNI outreach programs, and I hope to volunteer more in the future.

I think it would be great to see more programs working with local community college and high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds, helping them achieve goals of higher education and inspiring them to work in STEM fields.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Open an IRA and start saving money early. Being an adult comes with expenses you might not expect. Small costs build up and it always helps to have a passive income from investments, no matter how small.

What plans or goals do you have after your postdoctoral appointment?

I am debating between academia and industry/national labs. On one hand, I want to work on the cutting-edge research that national labs and industry has to offer. However, I also want to mentor and teach minority students looking to enter STEM.