John Lê Email & Phone Number

Houston, TX, US

• Advisor: Lane Martin (Rice Advanced Materials Institute)
• Optimizing lead hafnate thin films via pulsed-laser deposition, utilizing advanced characterization techniques to improve threshold and electric breakdown fields while minimizing hysteresis loss
• Synthesizing novel alloyed and multilayer lead hafnate-based structures to maximize energy storage capabilities, with significant potential for a new class of antiferroelectric materials

• Oversee and collaborate with a group of peer mentors to plan extracurricular programming during the summer program
• Act as an immediate mediator or mentor for a cohort of over 100 students, providing individualized or group support to build community amongst first-year Bridge Scholars
• Maintain a strong relationship with the program director and coordinator to identify weaknesses amongst program mentors, events, or concerns in the students to provide the necessary resources

• Lead and continuously train a group of over 40 students in the Admission Ambassador and Senior Interviewer program
• Schedule and coordinate student staff to support the daily operations in the office, ranging from tours to online informational sessions
• Redesigned hiring process for Admission Ambassadors, significantly increasing the representation of Bridge Scholars, international students, and QuestBridge scholars in the student team

• Initiate and curate project to create a stronger connection between the Office of Admission and the Bridge Scholars Program
• Increase enrollment of Bridge Scholars by targeted outreach, creating updates to the website, curating media, new informational pamphlets, and utilizing feedback about outreach from previous years

• Support a cohort of 15 freshmen in a specific class of the First Year Program, a two-block sequence that is tailored to introduce first-year and transfer students to critical inquiry and writing intensive work
• Foster individual development for students through individual mentoring and class gatherings

• Conduct informative interviews to speak with prospective students and learn about their aspirations and interests in Colorado College
• Collaborated on the “Senior Superlatives” project to read 300 application files throughout the summer, highlighting unique facts about students and compiling data about the incoming class of 2026 which the president.
• Participate in panels for international students (15 LACs on the 15th), college guidance counselors (Peak2Peak), and incoming students (Admitted Open Student House)
• Continue extended support to the Admissions Ambassador team by leading training about tours and other operations in the Admissions office

• Changed the individual social media mentor position to become a 3-person team, allowing more specificity and depth in the social media/outreach work
• Lead social media team with two other peer mentors to create newsletter, infographics, and posters to highlight class mentors and engage with students before the start of the program, engaging with 100-300 students.
• Development and analyze temperature/pulse check surveys sent out to 100 students before program to review feedback and ideas students may have for the program

• Collaborate with professor and other graders to efficiently grade about 10-15 problem sets throughout the block in introductory classes
• Detail specific and clarifying feedback that allows students to understand and resolve any errorsClasses Supported: Physics for the Life Sciences I & II, Physics for the Physical Sciences I & II

• Collaborate with professor and other graders to efficiently grade about 10-15 problem sets throughout the block in introductory classes
• Detail specific and clarifying feedback that allows students to understand and resolve any errorsClasses Supported: Introduction to Probability and Statistics, Calculus 1, Calculus 2, Applied Linear Algebra, Abstract.

• Mentor 20-25 first-year students through the two-week Bridge Scholars Program, a two-week early arrival program aimed to support low-income, first-generation, and/or QuestBridge students in their journey to higher.
• Drive and push for success in individual students through consistent individual meetings and providing resources and goal setting for their transition into college
• Collaborate and delegate with a group of 13 mentors to create unique events for students that allow them to participate in activities off-campus that may not be accessible to them during the school year
• Participate in “Theory and Practice of Peer Mentoring” every year to learn more about the psychology and practice of mentoring that introduces multiple topics ranging from Title IX to identity development

• Tutor students through learning assistant sessions and drop-in hours in classes of mathematics and physics
• Organize office hours and review sessions as a learning assistant for 25-30 students to provide continuous and accessible support for students in a class section
• Independently review introductory materials to support students and expand resources
• Collaborate with other student tutors to provide multiple solutions and thought processes to solve problemsClasses Supported: Calculus 1, Calculus 2, Physics for the Physical Sciences I & II, Physics for the Life.

• Primary Project: The production and detection of solvated electrons using atmospheric pressure plasma-jets
• Validate Go and Bartels groups’ (University of Notre Dame) measurements and optical geometry in detecting small absorbances solvated electrons in the plasma-liquid interface, which have multiple uses in the chemistry.
• Design and diagnose improvements to experimental set-up to enhance the signal in detection
• Create and troubleshoot multiple projects using Python and NumPy to create a simulation for ideal variables that will optimize specific spectroscopy and analyze experimental data using statistical techniques

• Led tours for parents and students ranging from 10-30 people for them to learn more about Colorado College, tailoring the tour to the curiosities of the students and parents
• Facilitated front desk and phone operations with the Operations Team to ensure smoothness and accuracy in answering questions from prospective students and parents
• Collaborated with the Admissions Staff and the Access and Outreach Team to speak as a student panelist in two major events: Admitted Student Open House and Experience Colorado College
• Developed knowledge about college admissions and narrowed a focus on working with low-income and first-generation students to support them in their decisions about higher education and Colorado College

Colorado Springs, CO

• Photograph school events, independent assignments, and student life for the Colorado College Office of Communications to highlight on the college’s website, social media, and printed publications
• Edit photos using Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom
• Implement critiques from supervisor to improve individual work and skillsets in photography

Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States

• Supported the Butler Center staff members to implement events for students with marginalized and underrepresented backgrounds such as LGBTQIA+, first-generation, femme-identifying, etc.
• Developed knowledge about Colorado College’s anti-racism and diversity initiatives that are pertinent to the Butler Center’s mission and role to support multiple groups
• Participated in capacity-building workshops on topics such as workshop facilitation, self-care, and social justice
• Started an initiative for The Butler Center to collaborate with racial-affinity groups during their respective heritage months to create a campus-wide event for the wider Colorado College community

• Attend training with QuestBridge headquarters to brainstorm events for the CC QuestBridge community
• Establish a support system with 100 QuestBridge scholars on campus to provide programming and resources for them to feel welcomed and supported, as most QuestBridge scholars come from marginalized backgrounds that are.

• Design posters to inform QuestBridge Scholars about upcoming events and socials
• Maintain student support for scholars through monthly programming planned with other board members

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

• Project: Optimization of tip etching for scanning probe microscopy studies of semiconductor superlattices Principal Investigators: Dr. Phillip First and Dr. Zhigang Jiang
• Developed and optimized a homebrew tip etching system using electrochemistry to construct atomically sharp tips for scanning tunneling and atomic force microscopy
• Analyzed and experimented with different parameters that impacted the creation of an ideal tip, detailing a two-step calibration process for etching tungsten and platinum-iridium metals
• Scanned surfaces of semiconductor superlattices using the etched tips and analyzed them in Gwyddion to study their lattice structures and electron band structure

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Applied Physics

Bachelor'S Degree, B.A. In Mathematics & Physics (Comprehensive Emphasis), German Studies Minor

Activities and Societies: Phi Sigma Iota, Pi Mu EpsilonQuestBridge Match Scholar GPA: 3.72/4.00