Vincent Lan
Class of 2023
Major: Materials Science and Engineering
Hometown: Hyattsville, MD
High School:
Eleanor Roosevelt High School

What Made You Decide to Attend UMD?
UMD has so many resources both on and off-campus. On-campus, there are a plethora of maker spaces and labs that allow you to create whatever your heart (and brain) desires. Off-campus, there are so many institutions, like NASA and NIST, that make finding an internship a piece of cake. Plus, all of the cool museums in festivals in DC are just a metro away!
Best Experience with a Class or Project
My favorite project was one for ENGL 132 which focused on an exiled writer. My group chose Dante Alighieri, from Dante's Inferno, and basically turned his life into a half overly-serious, half over-the-top comedic documentary.
Favorite Class
ENES 100: Introduction to Engineering Design
Favorite Class Out of Major
ENGL 132: Aliens, Exiles, and Immigrants
Student Organizations/Extracurricular Activities
QUEST Honors Program, College Park Scholars: Science, Discovery, and the Universe, College Park Scholars Student Advisory Board, English Conversation Partners, Undergraduate Research, Club Dodgeball
Favorite On-Campus Event
I loved when John Mulaney performed at Xfinity. I wasn't a big fan of his before the show, but that didn't stop me from constantly laughing. 10/10 would recommend. I hope he comes back to Maryland and I hope he keeps drinking water.
Favorite Research or Study Abroad Experiences
My favorite research experience was when I worked at the Vitreous State Laboratory at Catholic University. My project contributed to VSL's mission of developing a process to trap nuclear waste inside a glass matrix. Once immobilized, the waste no longer contaminates the environment.
Cool Engineering Experience
ENES 100 was tons of fun. My team built an over-sand rover that could put out flames. When it first started moving, my team and I were so proud of our accomplishments - even if it was just doing donuts in the sand.
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