Dr. Evelyn L. Hu, Harvard University
“Composing a Life”
Thursday, Sept. 22 at 4:00pm
Reitz Union 2355

Abstract

“Composing a Life” is the title of a book written by Mary Catherine Bateson, the daughter of the famous anthropologist, Margaret Mead. Bateson’s goal was to emphasize the actual control and ability we have to craft and develop our own lives and careers. This wisdom may seem counter to the perceptions we have, as we embark onto exciting, but very challenging and demanding careers.
Professor Hu will seed this discussion with examples of her “compositions”; the primary focus will be stimulating a discussion among students, postdoctoral scholars and faculty members.

Biography

Dr. Evelyn Hu is the Tarr-Coyne Professor of Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering at the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard. She is also a co-Director of the Harvard Quantum Initiative. Her research involves the study of nanoscale photonic devices demonstrating exceptional efficiencies and holding promise for new quantum information technologies. She received a Ph.D. in Physics from Columbia University, worked at AT&T Bell Laboratories, and was a faculty member at UCSB, in the Departments of Materials, and of Electrical and Computer Engineering. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Academica Sinica of Taiwan. She was named a Harvard College Professor (2015-2020), has received a Capers and Marion McDonald Award for Excellence in Mentorship and Advising, is a recipient of an NSF Distinguished Teaching Scholar award, and an AAAS Lifetime Mentor Award. She was awarded the 2020 Andrew Grove Award given by the IEEE, and the 2021 IEEE/RSE James Clerk Maxwell Medal. She holds honorary Doctorates from University of Glasgow, Heriot-Watt University, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, University of Notre Dame, and ETH Zurich.