One day, in chemistry class at Hermiston High School, Trey Stephens-Cherry watched as his teacher let a piece of sodium plummet into a bucket full of water. The resulting explosion kickstarted a passion for chemistry that propelled him into the chemistry major at OSU.
“There is a certain beauty I find in it that makes it a very rewarding,” Trey says of chemistry, “and it feels magical every single time.”
Seeking a strong research university, Trey moved from Madras, Oregon to Corvallis, where he now researches lanthanides with Dr. Artiom Skripka. The results of this research could make a considerable difference in the development of next-generation computers, among other potential applications.
Trey intends to keep forging a path to a PhD after his undergraduate studies are complete, but he still makes time for swimming, rock climbing, playing games, and reading science fiction novels such as Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. He also loves a good birria taco after a long day in the lab.
Trey approaches his work, and his life, with a sense of wonder and appreciation. “I think everyone should take a moment out of their day, every day,” he says, “to appreciate the small bits of magic in everyday life.”
