Interview with Prof. Nobby Kobayashi
Photo of Prof. Nobby Kobayashi.
Intro: This week, Skylar Qian (Cluster 10), representing UCSC’s Macrocosm, met up virtually with Prof. Nobby Kobayashi, who shared his experience as a professor in the electrical engineering and material science field. Prof. Kobayashi works at UCSC as a professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department.
Macrocosm (M): Could you introduce yourself to our readers?
Prof. Nobby Kobayashi (NK): I am Nobby Kobayashi. I am a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UCSC. I love skiing, surfing, traveling, working out, cooking, and drinking red wine. I do research on making all kinds of thin films with applications on whatever comes to me such as astrophysics, telescopes, memory devices, and energy conversion devices.
M: What got you interested in electrical engineering?
NK: By training, I am actually a materials scientist. What got me in the field I am in right now is that a long time ago, I had a chance to work with a brilliant computer scientist who suggested to me that he wanted to create something that is totally different from what we have right now (i.e. memory transistors) and that's how I got into the field I'm in. Essentially, I’m interested in developing materials and devices that are different from what we have now in our computers.
M: What's your favorite part of electrical engineering?
NK: The field I’m in is actually located at the bottom of everything. That means that we don’t really have any opportunities to make money out of this, but it feels like we are supporting all aspects of electronics and modern life.
M: How long have you been teaching at COSMOS? Can you think of any special highlights from your teaching career?
NK: This is actually my second year. Teaching is actually very time-consuming. I worked in various industries before joining UCSC. I have been teaching at UCSC for ten years now, but before that, I never realized how time-consuming it is to prepare lectures. Teaching is still very rewarding though because often, I encounter students who really excel and go way beyond what I expect. Actually, teaching is just repeating what you already know, but by doing so, I learn new things, especially when students ask questions. Teaching is actually a learning process by having that interaction with students. They have a pure mind for asking questions. I was impressed by their ability to see something teachers normally miss because we teachers believe that we know the subject well since we teach it, but students have it the other way around. There are a few students that I recruited to my research group because I was so impressed by their view on the subject that I thought I knew well. It's always a joy to have them.
M: Do you have any advice for current and future COSMOS students?
NK: To those who are in the class this year, I think I really enjoyed the active engagement of the students in our class. I'm really glad to see 25 students who express their interest in hardware, transistors, and the things that we are talking about in class. My advice for them is that I hope that they can build their career around this path, but they should still be open minded. You all are still very young and you never know how things change. You can't predict what will come in the next 5 years. Being open minded is probably more important than when I was your age because things are changing so rapidly. Another thing is being more flexible. Having the mentality that I will be doing this for the rest of my life is a very dangerous logic to follow. And also, make lots of friends in fields you are not in because it's very rewarding and also enriches your life, in my opinion.
M: Would you like to share any fun facts with our readers?
NK: Quite often, we write papers about the results we obtained by running a series of experiments. When we write the paper though, we might not say what we actually mean. Let’s say we said, “This is the best sample that we prepared, so we decided to study it.” We say that, but sometimes what we mean is that this is the only sample that worked, so we have no choice but to use it. We may say, “Therefore, we need to further investigate to understand the underlying physics behind this result.” We will say that, but what we actually mean is that we have no idea what is going on and we just want to get the paper published, get our PhD, and leave.
Macrocosm (M): Could you introduce yourself to our readers?
Prof. Nobby Kobayashi (NK): I am Nobby Kobayashi. I am a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UCSC. I love skiing, surfing, traveling, working out, cooking, and drinking red wine. I do research on making all kinds of thin films with applications on whatever comes to me such as astrophysics, telescopes, memory devices, and energy conversion devices.
M: What got you interested in electrical engineering?
NK: By training, I am actually a materials scientist. What got me in the field I am in right now is that a long time ago, I had a chance to work with a brilliant computer scientist who suggested to me that he wanted to create something that is totally different from what we have right now (i.e. memory transistors) and that's how I got into the field I'm in. Essentially, I’m interested in developing materials and devices that are different from what we have now in our computers.
M: What's your favorite part of electrical engineering?
NK: The field I’m in is actually located at the bottom of everything. That means that we don’t really have any opportunities to make money out of this, but it feels like we are supporting all aspects of electronics and modern life.
M: How long have you been teaching at COSMOS? Can you think of any special highlights from your teaching career?
NK: This is actually my second year. Teaching is actually very time-consuming. I worked in various industries before joining UCSC. I have been teaching at UCSC for ten years now, but before that, I never realized how time-consuming it is to prepare lectures. Teaching is still very rewarding though because often, I encounter students who really excel and go way beyond what I expect. Actually, teaching is just repeating what you already know, but by doing so, I learn new things, especially when students ask questions. Teaching is actually a learning process by having that interaction with students. They have a pure mind for asking questions. I was impressed by their ability to see something teachers normally miss because we teachers believe that we know the subject well since we teach it, but students have it the other way around. There are a few students that I recruited to my research group because I was so impressed by their view on the subject that I thought I knew well. It's always a joy to have them.
M: Do you have any advice for current and future COSMOS students?
NK: To those who are in the class this year, I think I really enjoyed the active engagement of the students in our class. I'm really glad to see 25 students who express their interest in hardware, transistors, and the things that we are talking about in class. My advice for them is that I hope that they can build their career around this path, but they should still be open minded. You all are still very young and you never know how things change. You can't predict what will come in the next 5 years. Being open minded is probably more important than when I was your age because things are changing so rapidly. Another thing is being more flexible. Having the mentality that I will be doing this for the rest of my life is a very dangerous logic to follow. And also, make lots of friends in fields you are not in because it's very rewarding and also enriches your life, in my opinion.
M: Would you like to share any fun facts with our readers?
NK: Quite often, we write papers about the results we obtained by running a series of experiments. When we write the paper though, we might not say what we actually mean. Let’s say we said, “This is the best sample that we prepared, so we decided to study it.” We say that, but sometimes what we mean is that this is the only sample that worked, so we have no choice but to use it. We may say, “Therefore, we need to further investigate to understand the underlying physics behind this result.” We will say that, but what we actually mean is that we have no idea what is going on and we just want to get the paper published, get our PhD, and leave.
Interview with Abhishek Halder
Photo of Prof. Abhishek Halder.
Intro: This week, Sonali Sinha, representing UCSC’s Macrocosm, met up virtually with Abhishek Halder, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Mathematics at UCSC, who shared his experience and research about systems control and optimization.
[This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.]
Macrocosm (M): First off, could you introduce yourself to the readers of our newsletter?
Abhishek Halder (AH): First of all, thanks for giving [me] this opportunity…My name is Abhishek Halder. So, I am a faculty in the Department of Applied Mathematics in the School of Engineering [at UCSC]. So, I joined [UCSC] in 2007. And I come from [an] aerospace engineering background, so all my degrees are in aerospace engineering. And then, I did some research in electrical and computer engineering as well as mechanical and aerospace engineering and before joining this position in the Department of Applied Mathematics at the Baskin School of Engineering, so labs where I have been a faculty.
M: Could you please share more about your background and what got you interested in control systems specifically?
AH: So, my undergraduate degree was in aerospace engineering from India. And then, I came to [the] US for graduate studies. So, there are three main kinds of directions one can study. One is basically fluids and propulsions and engines, another is materials and structures, and the third is basically dynamics and control. Control is the ability to essentially think about many different systems without getting bogged down too much in the details. You can talk about electrical systems or mechanical systems in a common language, without really knowing all the details of electrical [engineering], mechanical [engineering], or biology, which is really impossible for any individual. That really drew me in….I was [also] very much drawn into the mathematical aspects of control, which is one of the most beautiful [forms of] mathematics in engineering. Very mathematically oriented engineers end up in controls or things related to control, like information theory, and other things. So, that is what motivated me initially.
M: What would you say is your favorite part of controls?
AH: The more I studied, the more I appreciated this power of how we can systematically think about a complicated system in the simplest manner possible. That is becoming more and more important. As you know, all the systems engineering systems around us [are] becoming very complex —[the] internet, self-driving cars, and robots. So as things [are] getting more complicated, it will become more and more difficult for human beings to know all the details. So, I think there will be more demand for people who can think about complex systems in a systematic manner. That is what initially drew me in and it continues to be my favorite part. It's surprising how similar thinking applies across many different fields.
M: How long have you been teaching at COSMOS?
AH: [For] COSMOS, this is my second year. So two years, specifically. I taught [for the] first time last summer, which was completely online… This year, it's kind of hybrid, but mostly in-person, this is the second time.
M: Can you think of any special highlights from your entire teaching career? That includes moments outside of COSMOS too.
AH: Controls literature is considered to be…inaccessible [at the] high school level. So, you know, when we decided to do this last year, we essentially said, “okay, let's try the impossible”. So we'll be basically [teaching controls] without talking about linear algebra or calculus, [because] different students at COSMOS are at different levels. So, we don't want to say something that some people can follow, [and] other people cannot follow. So, that is especially challenging for control because control is usually perceived to be very mathematical. Even at the undergraduate level, people don't teach it [in] the first or second year. They think [that an extensive] math background [is needed] to attend Control 101, lecture one. So from that point of view, I think it's very interesting and I thoroughly enjoy [COSMOS].
M: That's great. Do you have any advice for current and future COSMOS students? This can be specifically for people in cluster 11, and also just for students in general.
AH: I think that the students [at COSMOS] the last two years… are extremely smart…I continue to be surprised by the type and quality of the questions the students ask. I think they have very bright futures, no matter which direction or which career they pursue, so I don't have any specific advice. If I have to give any general advice, I would say this is [a] very early stage of your career, so don't focus yourself too much on a specific direction. Try to be a little bit exploratory…Nowadays, I see some people getting too career-minded, [starting] from high school. Which [can be] a good thing, but I think it's good to be a little bit flexible because we don't really know what jobs will look like 10, 15, 20, 25 years from now. Because, the type of jobs and everything is evolving. So, it's better to have an open mind and just try to learn about principles, than [to] be an expert in a particular area. I think in the future, what will be important is if you learn how to learn new things. What [you learn] will be less important. There are too many websites, too many books. It's [the] opposite of [the] early days of education when you did not have information [surplus]. So right now, it's more about what not to read, how not to think. So it's less about information. If you just need information, you don't really need quality revision. You can just read Wikipedia.
M: Do you want to share any fun facts about yourself or about controls with our readers?
AH: I like to travel. I especially like to have long drives and it's just really unfortunate that [there are] busy schedules and everything. I don't get to do it as much as I would love to…When I was a graduate student and postdoc, I had done many, many long drives across many different states. So, that is something I definitely enjoy.
Sources:
[This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.]
Macrocosm (M): First off, could you introduce yourself to the readers of our newsletter?
Abhishek Halder (AH): First of all, thanks for giving [me] this opportunity…My name is Abhishek Halder. So, I am a faculty in the Department of Applied Mathematics in the School of Engineering [at UCSC]. So, I joined [UCSC] in 2007. And I come from [an] aerospace engineering background, so all my degrees are in aerospace engineering. And then, I did some research in electrical and computer engineering as well as mechanical and aerospace engineering and before joining this position in the Department of Applied Mathematics at the Baskin School of Engineering, so labs where I have been a faculty.
M: Could you please share more about your background and what got you interested in control systems specifically?
AH: So, my undergraduate degree was in aerospace engineering from India. And then, I came to [the] US for graduate studies. So, there are three main kinds of directions one can study. One is basically fluids and propulsions and engines, another is materials and structures, and the third is basically dynamics and control. Control is the ability to essentially think about many different systems without getting bogged down too much in the details. You can talk about electrical systems or mechanical systems in a common language, without really knowing all the details of electrical [engineering], mechanical [engineering], or biology, which is really impossible for any individual. That really drew me in….I was [also] very much drawn into the mathematical aspects of control, which is one of the most beautiful [forms of] mathematics in engineering. Very mathematically oriented engineers end up in controls or things related to control, like information theory, and other things. So, that is what motivated me initially.
M: What would you say is your favorite part of controls?
AH: The more I studied, the more I appreciated this power of how we can systematically think about a complicated system in the simplest manner possible. That is becoming more and more important. As you know, all the systems engineering systems around us [are] becoming very complex —[the] internet, self-driving cars, and robots. So as things [are] getting more complicated, it will become more and more difficult for human beings to know all the details. So, I think there will be more demand for people who can think about complex systems in a systematic manner. That is what initially drew me in and it continues to be my favorite part. It's surprising how similar thinking applies across many different fields.
M: How long have you been teaching at COSMOS?
AH: [For] COSMOS, this is my second year. So two years, specifically. I taught [for the] first time last summer, which was completely online… This year, it's kind of hybrid, but mostly in-person, this is the second time.
M: Can you think of any special highlights from your entire teaching career? That includes moments outside of COSMOS too.
AH: Controls literature is considered to be…inaccessible [at the] high school level. So, you know, when we decided to do this last year, we essentially said, “okay, let's try the impossible”. So we'll be basically [teaching controls] without talking about linear algebra or calculus, [because] different students at COSMOS are at different levels. So, we don't want to say something that some people can follow, [and] other people cannot follow. So, that is especially challenging for control because control is usually perceived to be very mathematical. Even at the undergraduate level, people don't teach it [in] the first or second year. They think [that an extensive] math background [is needed] to attend Control 101, lecture one. So from that point of view, I think it's very interesting and I thoroughly enjoy [COSMOS].
M: That's great. Do you have any advice for current and future COSMOS students? This can be specifically for people in cluster 11, and also just for students in general.
AH: I think that the students [at COSMOS] the last two years… are extremely smart…I continue to be surprised by the type and quality of the questions the students ask. I think they have very bright futures, no matter which direction or which career they pursue, so I don't have any specific advice. If I have to give any general advice, I would say this is [a] very early stage of your career, so don't focus yourself too much on a specific direction. Try to be a little bit exploratory…Nowadays, I see some people getting too career-minded, [starting] from high school. Which [can be] a good thing, but I think it's good to be a little bit flexible because we don't really know what jobs will look like 10, 15, 20, 25 years from now. Because, the type of jobs and everything is evolving. So, it's better to have an open mind and just try to learn about principles, than [to] be an expert in a particular area. I think in the future, what will be important is if you learn how to learn new things. What [you learn] will be less important. There are too many websites, too many books. It's [the] opposite of [the] early days of education when you did not have information [surplus]. So right now, it's more about what not to read, how not to think. So it's less about information. If you just need information, you don't really need quality revision. You can just read Wikipedia.
M: Do you want to share any fun facts about yourself or about controls with our readers?
AH: I like to travel. I especially like to have long drives and it's just really unfortunate that [there are] busy schedules and everything. I don't get to do it as much as I would love to…When I was a graduate student and postdoc, I had done many, many long drives across many different states. So, that is something I definitely enjoy.
Sources:
Interview with Prof. Dave Belanger
Photo of Prof Dave Belanger.
Intro: This week, Andrew Woo (Cluster 12), representing UCSC’s Macrocosm, interviewed Prof. Dave Belanger, who teaches Scattering and Diffraction of Materials in Cluster 12. In the interview, he discussed his interest in magnetism as well as his excitement about participating as an instructor in COSMOS.
[This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity]
Macrocosm (M): Hi. Before we start the interview, can you please introduce yourself to our Macrocosm readers?
Prof. Dave Belanger (DB): I’m a professor in physics, but I’m retired. I have been retired for about three years. But I still do research. So, I’m still active that way and the only teaching I do is for COSMOS because I enjoy that. I study magnetism and crystals too. Doing physics is fun!
M: What got you interested/motivated in magnetism?
DB: So, I was interested in physics generally. I did my graduate work and then I had to find a group to work with. And, I just found really interesting projects with Prof. Jack Reno at UCSB (University of California, Santa Barbara), who studied magnetism. He did not do phase transitions, so I brought that to the group, and he was gracious enough to learn about phase transitions with me.
M: What’s your favorite part of magnetism that fascinates you?
DB: There are a couple of things. First of all, this is emergent behavior, which you can’t understand by looking at one single thing. So to me, that’s really fascinating. But the other thing is that right near the phase transition, the experiments and the theory should come together so you can do really fine testing of the theory by looking at what the experiments are doing. As well as the experiments do, the theorists have to do their job really carefully. So when we either find an agreement or we find that something’s wrong, then it is really exciting because that means we’re going to learn new physics by the time we sort this out. I always tell my students it’s no fun to find that the theories are correct. It’s more fun to find that they’re wrong.
M: How long have you been teaching in COSMOS?
DB: Well, three years ago, COSMOS was canceled because of the pandemic, and last year, they had it all online. Then this year is in person. So, I’ve been technically teaching in COSMOS for 2 years.
M: Among your teaching career, can you think of any special highlights or unique stories?
DB: Well I’ve always enjoyed teaching statistical physics transitions, but also taught some other courses. For instance, one of the things I really enjoyed for several years, was teaching a course on nuclear weapons and arms control. [Students] didn’t have to be a science major or anything to take that, so I enjoyed teaching that. Also, I taught a writing course for a number of years, teaching people how to write better and make better presentations. So, yeah, I just enjoy! One thing that physics professors do is they teach different courses every couple of years so it keeps the courses fresh and keeps the professors fresh. So, it’s not one of these disciplines where you teach the same course for 30 years in a row.
M: Do you have any advice for current and future COSMOS students?
DB: This is just a chance to learn about things that you probably won’t be necessarily exposed to later. It gives you a chance to learn broad things. That’s why the discovery lectures are done. It’s also a way for you to see how and why the professors are excited about what they do. Hopefully, some of you will get excited about going into science and engineering and see why it can be exciting.
M: If you define COSMOS by a single word, what would be that and why?
DB: I think…I would use the word “discovery” because it’s a way for the students to “discover” a whole new universe that they probably haven’t been exposed to before and to see why scientists get excited about what they’re doing. When I went to college, I had no idea what it meant to be a scientist because I would never talk to one until I went to university. This excites people about science and engineering.
M: I remember the moment in the very first session when you said you teach COSMOS students because you like their enthusiastic energy to learn. Hearing that you have taught COSMOS students for 2 years, are you willing to continue teaching future COSMOS?
DB: Yeah, sure! That’s the only teaching I’ll do.
M: Wrapping up the interview, do you have any fun facts to share?
DB: I had no idea I was going to study magnetism. You follow a path that just leads you to whatever you’re going to do. I wanted to be an astronomer and that’s how I got interested in science. But when I was in high school, I realized my eyes were really terrible. I thought astronomy was done by looking through a telescope and [I thought to myself,] “I can’t do that!” Of course, what I didn’t know is that it’s all done electronically. So don’t close off doors, and you’ll find the right thing to do.
[This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity]
Macrocosm (M): Hi. Before we start the interview, can you please introduce yourself to our Macrocosm readers?
Prof. Dave Belanger (DB): I’m a professor in physics, but I’m retired. I have been retired for about three years. But I still do research. So, I’m still active that way and the only teaching I do is for COSMOS because I enjoy that. I study magnetism and crystals too. Doing physics is fun!
M: What got you interested/motivated in magnetism?
DB: So, I was interested in physics generally. I did my graduate work and then I had to find a group to work with. And, I just found really interesting projects with Prof. Jack Reno at UCSB (University of California, Santa Barbara), who studied magnetism. He did not do phase transitions, so I brought that to the group, and he was gracious enough to learn about phase transitions with me.
M: What’s your favorite part of magnetism that fascinates you?
DB: There are a couple of things. First of all, this is emergent behavior, which you can’t understand by looking at one single thing. So to me, that’s really fascinating. But the other thing is that right near the phase transition, the experiments and the theory should come together so you can do really fine testing of the theory by looking at what the experiments are doing. As well as the experiments do, the theorists have to do their job really carefully. So when we either find an agreement or we find that something’s wrong, then it is really exciting because that means we’re going to learn new physics by the time we sort this out. I always tell my students it’s no fun to find that the theories are correct. It’s more fun to find that they’re wrong.
M: How long have you been teaching in COSMOS?
DB: Well, three years ago, COSMOS was canceled because of the pandemic, and last year, they had it all online. Then this year is in person. So, I’ve been technically teaching in COSMOS for 2 years.
M: Among your teaching career, can you think of any special highlights or unique stories?
DB: Well I’ve always enjoyed teaching statistical physics transitions, but also taught some other courses. For instance, one of the things I really enjoyed for several years, was teaching a course on nuclear weapons and arms control. [Students] didn’t have to be a science major or anything to take that, so I enjoyed teaching that. Also, I taught a writing course for a number of years, teaching people how to write better and make better presentations. So, yeah, I just enjoy! One thing that physics professors do is they teach different courses every couple of years so it keeps the courses fresh and keeps the professors fresh. So, it’s not one of these disciplines where you teach the same course for 30 years in a row.
M: Do you have any advice for current and future COSMOS students?
DB: This is just a chance to learn about things that you probably won’t be necessarily exposed to later. It gives you a chance to learn broad things. That’s why the discovery lectures are done. It’s also a way for you to see how and why the professors are excited about what they do. Hopefully, some of you will get excited about going into science and engineering and see why it can be exciting.
M: If you define COSMOS by a single word, what would be that and why?
DB: I think…I would use the word “discovery” because it’s a way for the students to “discover” a whole new universe that they probably haven’t been exposed to before and to see why scientists get excited about what they’re doing. When I went to college, I had no idea what it meant to be a scientist because I would never talk to one until I went to university. This excites people about science and engineering.
M: I remember the moment in the very first session when you said you teach COSMOS students because you like their enthusiastic energy to learn. Hearing that you have taught COSMOS students for 2 years, are you willing to continue teaching future COSMOS?
DB: Yeah, sure! That’s the only teaching I’ll do.
M: Wrapping up the interview, do you have any fun facts to share?
DB: I had no idea I was going to study magnetism. You follow a path that just leads you to whatever you’re going to do. I wanted to be an astronomer and that’s how I got interested in science. But when I was in high school, I realized my eyes were really terrible. I thought astronomy was done by looking through a telescope and [I thought to myself,] “I can’t do that!” Of course, what I didn’t know is that it’s all done electronically. So don’t close off doors, and you’ll find the right thing to do.
