| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | I went for a 16mile (25km) hike with my family across a mountain at the age of 5. I cried a lot during the journey, but ended up finishing it without direct help from the adults. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | I identify with both of my parents. They were both brave and courageous, and both got their education and made their own careers without help from the families. I myself, as a first-generation PhD, am in essence mimicking their brave moves. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | Curiosity,
Courage,
Persistence,
Independence
, Wisdom. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | One thing I can recall clearly was an unsuccessful celebration dinner I had with my roommate. My university has a "flying club" that offers cheap flight classes and plane rentals to students. My roommate took lessons in the club for a year. To celebrate that he finally got a license, we decided to fly to a nearby city to have a buffet and fly back. I had no idea what I signed up for. I started to become a bit nervous when I first saw the 50-year-old 2-seat plane and got in. Fortunately the flight to the city wasn't too bad, except that it took my roommate three tries to finally land. After having a big meal at the buffet restaurant, we headed back. Then we met the strongest turbulence I had ever experienced; the plane was literally spinning in the sky and my head was hitting the ceiling. And then all of a sudden, I vomited everything out. After we landed at the home airport (alive), it took us two hours to calm down and clean the cabin. After the "celebration dinner," my roommate decided to take more lessons before flying independently again, and we never go to buffet restaurants any more. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | I would travel to Mars. I believe interplanetary exploration will be the future of the human civilization, and Mars will be the first station. I wish to feel what it is like to be on Mars as a human being. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | I don't have children yet. I hope my children will have independence and curiosity about the world as I do. But I guess I'll love them either way. |
