Congratulations to Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering undergraduate Rebecca Boehning, winner of the campuswide Image of Research contest!
She won for her image called, “A Semiconductor Rose by Any Other Name.”
Here is Rebecca’s description of the image:
“To quote Shakespeare, ‘A rose by any other name would smell as sweet’–however, the ‘roses’ in my photo are not true roses at all. These miniature roses are made from organic semiconductor crystals. They are approximately 100 microns in diameter, which is the width of a human hair. While these crystals can reflect any color of light, I have colored them red to increase the contrast and enhance the imagination. My research focuses on understanding the crystal growth of organic semiconductors. While most semiconductor materials are inorganic, such as silicon, the compounds I work with offer an organic alternative. Organic semiconductors, if used effectively, offer several benefits such as flexible electronic applications and low energy manufacturing compared to silicon wafers. Before organic semiconductors can be used industrially, the underlying crystallization mechanism must be understood. While the image shown here would not make an effective electronic device, the rose-shape of these crystals abstractly portray their organic character. In the future, organic semiconductors can provide a viable alternative for commonly used semiconductors today– or, in other words, an organic semiconductor by any other name would work as well.”
The Image of Research is a multidisciplinary competition that celebrates the diversity and breadth of undergraduate student research at the University of Illinois. All undergraduate students were invited to submit entries consisting of an image and brief text that articulates how the image relates to the research. Entries were judged by a multidisciplinary panel for connection between image, text, and research; originality; and visual impact.
Second place went to Andrew Tran for “Colorful Emotions” and Honorable Mention was awarded to Jesse Han for “Encouraging Excellence in Planning and Design Processes and Practices in Underserved Communities.”
The contest is organized by the Scholarly Commons of the University Library and the Office of Undergraduate Research and is supported by the Scholarly Commons from the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics. Image of Research at Illinois was inspired by the Image of Research competition at the University of Illinois at Chicago.