2026 Trailblazers Symposium

Join us for the EAS Trailblazers Symposium! This event will feature outstanding young scientists and engineers from across the country presenting on their pioneering research.

Doors open 11:50 am
Symposium 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Location: Annenberg 105

Noah Barnes, PhD Candidate and NSF Graduate Research Fellow, Johns Hopkins University

Myra Cheng, PhD Candidate, Stanford University

Sathvik Iyengar, Schmidt Science Fellow and Bakar Innovation Fellow, University of California, Berkeley

Leyla Kabuli, PhD Candidate, University of California, Berkeley

Emma Nicotra, Zonta International Ameila Earhart Fellow and PhD Candidate, Purdue University

Jiuyun Shi, Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University

Laura Yang, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Washington University, St. Louis

October 7, 2026

10:00 – 11:00 am

MCE: EAS Trailblazers Department Seminar
Gates-Thomas 135
Autonomous Robotic Endovascular Navigation via Imitation Learning
Noah Barnes, PhD Candidate and NSF Graduate Research Fellow, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University

2:00 – 3:00 pm

MedE: EAS Trailblazers Department Seminar
Moore B280
Biointegrated Electronics for Disease Monitoring and Intervention
Jiuyun Shi, Ph.D., Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University

3:00 – 4:00 pm

EE: EAS Trailblazers Department Seminar
Moore B280
Designing Imaging Systems to Maximize Information Capture
Leyla Kabuli, PhD Candidate, Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS) at UC Berkeley

4:00 – 5:00 pm

Aerospace: EAS Trailblazers Department Seminar
Guggenheim 133 (Lees-Kubota) • Refreshments from 5-5:30pm in the lobby
A Study of Hypersonic Shockwave/Boundary-Layer Interaction Dynamics Using High-Temperature Plasma Discharges
Emma Nicotra, Zonta International Ameila Earhart Fellow and Graduate Student, School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University

APHMS: EAS Trailblazers Department Seminar
Spalding Laboratory 106 (Hartley Memorial Seminar Room)
Hybridization and Electromechanics at Atomically Thin Interfaces
Sathvik Iyengar, Schmidt Science Fellow, EECS Department at UC Berkeley and Bakar Innovation Fellow

CMS: EAS Trailblazers Department Seminar
Annenberg 105
An Interaction-informed Science of Large Language Models
Myra Cheng, PhD Candidate, Knight-Hennessy Scholar; NSF Graduate Research Fellow, Computer Science, Stanford University

ESE: EAS Trailblazers Department Seminar
South Mudd 365 (Salvatori Room) • Refreshments starting at 3:30 pm
Understanding Atmospheric Composition Using Atmospheric Chemistry Modeling and Observations
Laura Yang, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis