Kyle Stegman

Snapshot

  • Honours Chemistry Level V Co-op student researching non-linear optics in photochemical media

  • Currently in a co-op placement

  • Position obtained through: Networking, cold emailing, classes

  • My co-op placement is under Dr. Saravanamuttu, the associate dean of EDII for science and professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology.  In the lab we study the nonlinear interactions between light and different chemical media. We take advantage of photopolymerization to induce nonlinear effects that can inscribe complex, microscopic, light-guiding architectures in the polymers allowing them to become optically active. In my coop I helped to developed new materials that could be used for creating these structures as well as exploring new methods to undergo the photopolymerization reactions to inscribe the light-guiding structures also known as waveguides. In my coop I've even had the chance to start working on a paper that will hopefully be coming out next year!

  • Future plans: Go onto graduate school and hopefully academia one day

“Pick out three strong candidates of professors you would like to work with and read 2-3 of their most recent papers. Send personalized emails to them talking about your interest in their work and the papers you read and ask to book a meeting with them to talk further about their work and research opportunities. The Personalized emailing can make all the difference between you and a student that just cold emailed.”