How Research Experiences Shaped One Student’s Career Goals
Sarah LaCroix, E’27, chemical engineering and computer science, has participated in several incredible research opportunities at Northeastern University. Each experience positively impacted her future career aspirations, and now she wishes to pursue a career in research and development post-graduation.
Sarah LaCroix has always had a strong interest in the STEM field throughout her life. She came to Northeastern University in 2022, undecided but determined to study in the College of Engineering. LaCroix said the flexibility in course selection provided by the college was incredibly helpful in aiding her to find her perfect major. She knew one day she would want to work on sustainability issues such as carbon emissions and climate change, and believed chemical engineering would be the best program for her. After completing her first “Cornerstone of Engineering” class and having to code for assignments, she also discovered an interest in computer science. Pursuing a double degree in chemical engineering and computer science has allowed LaCroix to take classes she is passionate about while working toward her career aspirations.
LaCroix believes her double major has had many benefits for her. She says her education has been well-rounded and integrates both subjects equally. She thinks pairing her chemical engineering study with computer science has helped immensely in the lab when completing calculations via the computer. Knowing both disciplines has enabled her to succeed in her co-op and research opportunities, as well.
Research with the Zhao Group
LaCroix’s first research position was with Assistant Professor Qing Zhao at the Zhao Group. She became interested in the research after attending SOURCE, a research showcase hosted by Northeastern, where she spoke with a PhD student who was currently working there. LaCroix was intrigued by the work the lab was doing and knew she wanted to be a part of it. She collaborated with Professor Zhao and Manish Kothakonda, a postdoctoral researcher, on evaluating different surfaces for methane recoupling, a process that combines single-carbon molecules into multi-carbon molecules for more fuel potential. LaCroix worked on a specific copper crystal structure for this application. She said she learned a lot about the research and about herself during this first research opportunity. LaCroix thought it was both challenging and exciting to learn new technologies and platforms. Throughout the experience, she learned how to persevere, solve problems, and stay focused on completing her work.
LaCroix’s research position at the Zhao Group then transitioned into a co-op. She began a new project about ammonia decomposition into nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas for the purpose of hydrogen gas fuel. LaCroix was tasked with evaluating the stability and performance of ruthenium-doped single-atom alloys as an alternative to pure ruthenium, an expensive and rare-earth metal. Since the work at the research lab was all computational, LaCroix’s double major helped her to excel in her role.
After LaCroix’s co-op at the Zhao Group had ended, she and her research group went to a conference together to showcase their research. LaCroix had to put together a poster presentation and present her research findings from the previous six months. She said the experience was incredibly memorable for her. She said she loved being able to share her work and to meet people who were interested in her presentation. Having in-depth conversations with people about her research was a highlight of the conference for her.
Co-op at the Data-Driven Renewables Research Group
LaCroix is currently on her second co-op in the Data-Driven Renewables Research Group (D2R2) at Northeastern with Assistant Professor Peter Schindler. LaCroix is working on using machine learning interatomic potentials (MLIPs) to construct phase diagrams for magnesium hydride, a hydrogen fuel carrier. She is assessing the performance of MLIP algorithms against experimental and theoretical results to see if they are reliable for this application. Even though she just recently started this co-op position, she is very enthusiastic about the work she has been completing.
Future Perspectives
All of LaCroix’s research opportunities have positively influenced her future career goals. She said before coming to Northeastern, she was unsure of what she wanted to pursue post-graduation. However, after participating in multiple research opportunities, she has solidified her decision to go into the research and development side of engineering. She said that for her, research is intellectually satisfying, and she has been fortunate to discover her career passions through these experiences. She believes Northeastern has plenty of research opportunities for its students, and students should explore as many as possible to find the investigation that they are passionate about.