"Every experience you have might add value to your future."
Yuhui is an I-Form researcher based at NUI Galway.
Growing up
Do you remember what you wanted to be (when you grew up) when you were 5 years old?
President.
Same question at age 10?
Astronaut.
At age 15?
Nobel Prize holder!
What were you like around age 15/16?
I would seize every chance to play basketball during my busy study schedule. I also played violin, and was into PC gaming.
College days
What did you study at college, and where?
Material forming engineering, at Nanjing, China.
How did you choose the college courses you applied for?
My interest at that time was in practical engineering, probably influenced by my father’s career as a combustion engine designer.
What is your fondest memory of college days?
Together with my classmates, as a team, we crafted a customized hammer during a metalworking internship.
The present
How would your parents describe what you do?
A PhD in 3D printing.
How would your friends describe what you do?
He prints anime figures in metal, like a blacksmith.
What do you actually do?
I investigate structure-property relationships using micromechanical theories.
Why or how did you choose your current role?
My current role combines my undergraduate background in manufacturing with my postgraduate interest in material science. Every experience you have might add value to your future.
If an alien came to Earth right now and demanded you describe what you do in one sentence, what would you say so that they would understand?
Man is a tool-using animal. Modern people are distinguished from their ancestors by improving tools, which is also my current effort.
Tell me something cool about being a researcher.
There’s always a surprise waiting; you are never bored.
The future
What would you like to be doing in 10 years’ time?
Be an academic staff member, guiding research students who are my current age.
If we could time travel to 2050 and you had to choose a job to do right now (real or imagined), what would it be?
I would choose to be a musician because art is never out of style.