Graduate Student Spotlight: Minh Le

Originally from Hanoi, Vietnam, Minh Le is a third-year graduate student in the Department of Chemistry. A member of Professor Tim Swager’s lab, Minh focuses on synthesizing next-generation materials for a variety of applications, including gas separation membranes, ion-exchange membranes for batteries, energy storage, and catalysts.

“I think chemistry is a blend of theoretical and experimental insights, so from a young age I have been curious about ‘the central science’, despite not having early access to state-of-the-art laboratories,” Minh said. “Moreover, synthesizing organic molecules and their macromolecular analogs has always been a fun yet challenging pursuit for scientists. I am motivated to propose simple, elegant, and effective solutions for the synthesis of desired compounds and materials.”

1. If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?
   Probably I would start journaling and making a YouTube channel to talk about my daily life. I think writing itself is an act of reflection, while documenting my daily life through videos helps me to relive each important moment as I needed. It is also a motivation for me to get into more interesting hobbies as well!
2. If you were on a 27 hour flight and could only watch one movie, what would it be?Not sure why the number is 27 in this question, but I do take flights that lasted for 15 hours or more quite regularly back home from the US. I once watched Oppenheimer and was in love with it, mostly for the added English subtitles but also because of the interesting plot and historical insights as well. Although some details are definitely exaggerated, Oppenheimer in this movie is portrayed not only as a brilliant scientist but also with a complicated personality – from his affairs to political views.
3. What is the best vacation you’ve ever taken?
   I went to Quy Nhơn in Vietnam with my family two years ago, the summer before my Ph.D. program started. The beaches there were absolutely amazing; I felt like I did not need to visit beaches anywhere else because of how clean and nice the water was. In addition, we opted for the local tours; the guides were very friendly and professional in taking photos for us without the need to ask. The only downside is that I got sunburned with the very intense sunlight for the first time.
4. Who would be the best person you could be stuck in an elevator with?
   Martin Luther King Jr. I want to know more about the process to create his famous I Have a Dream speech, which recently was featured in the Vietnamese literature curriculum for high school students, as well as the challenges and oppositions he and the African American community faced during his time.
5. If you were given five million dollars to open a small museum, what kind of museum would you create?
   The history of means of transportation around the New England area. I read several Wikipedia articles and Reddit posts about what we used to have in addition to hearsay stories about why there are so many one-way streets around the Boston/Cambridge area, so detailing those key changes and historical insights would be of interest to many local residents and visitors.
6. What are some small things that make your day better?
   Random walks or small gifts. I remembered walking along the Longfellow and Harvard bridges last fall and feeling so refreshed after the break. Sometimes when I drop by ChemEd or my other labmates’ offices, I got some small treats as well; that definitely lightened my day up.
7. What could you give a 40-minute presentation on with absolutely no preparation?How the education system functions differently in the United States versus East Asia (largely in the context of Vietnam, although geographically Vietnam does not belong to East Asia but Southeast Asia, but we share many similarities with the other Sinosphere countries).
8. What is something that a ton of people are obsessed with but you just don’t get the point of?
   The collection of luxurious items… I am more pragmatic these days, so I do not really see the point of having a lot of branded accessories in your house for decoration purposes, especially with the current economy.
9. What movie title best describes your life?
   Random Side Quests for Chemistry. I think that pursuing chemistry (for its both meanings) is important, but side quests (or random errands) make our lives much more interesting.
10. What is special about the place you grew up?
    Hanoi is a wonderful city to explore because of its rich history. We tried our best to preserve the culture inherited from our ancestors thousands of years ago while integrating remarkable features other cultures as well. Do you know that phở and bánh mì, the dishes that made their names in the Oxford dictionary, were thought to originate from China and France?
11. What chance encounter changed your life forever?
    A free trip to the Netherlands nine years ago. I think it fueled my passion for soaring for educational opportunities outside of my country for higher education in general.
12. If animals could talk, which animal do you think would be the most annoying, and why?
    I guess cats? They are surely adorable, but they require high maintenance as well.
13. If you could pick any career other than the one you’ve chosen, what would it be?
    My friends always think that I should be a journalist instead of a chemist because of my extended writing pieces, my eyes for details, and my ability to dig things up from so long ago. However, I do think a good journalist and a good chemist should both have these characters.
14. Where is the most interesting place you’ve been?
    Amsterdam for sure. I am amazed by how the city is built around a river and the local residents seem to enjoy parking by the river and biking or walking despite extreme weather conditions. The bars there have a quite different vibe as well…
15. If money and practicality weren’t a problem, what would be the most interesting way to get around town?
    You know those hybrid cars/boats that the Boston duck tours use? I would love to get to nearby towns by those vehicles. Maybe… horses as well, if I get to learn horseriding in the near future.
16. What food do you crave most often?
    Authentic Vietnamese food unfortunately. There are so many interesting dishes besides phở and bánh mì as I discussed above. For example, have you heard of the dish bún chả (vermicelli with grilled pork) that Former President Obama tried when he visited Hanoi ten years ago?
17. What would be the most amazing adventure to go on?
    If I have time and physical stamina, I would love to explore the Sơn Đoòng Cave – it is a week-long tour designed with minimal impact to the ecological system there in mind. This place was featured on Good Morning America in 2015, and the tour is fully booked probably through next year at this point. Maybe I can accidentally discover a new species during the tour… Who knows?
18. What would be your ideal way to spend the weekend?
    To be honest, completing my house chores so I can be ready for the week ahead. In addition, bingewatching some interesting series that I have not quite finished yet (for example, Grey’s Anatomy, The Good Doctor, Suits, etc.) and sending some funny snapshots to my friends.
19. Where was the most amazing sunset you have ever seen?
    I have seen lots of beautiful sunsets at my alma mater, Cornell University. The sky was spectacular, and watching sunset on the Libe Slope with friends was such an amazing experience.
20. What are the best and worst purchases you’ve ever made?
    My best purchase is $3 Uniqlo and GU T-shirts that I occasionally found on sale. I think the number of worst purchases I have made is quite enormous, but one of those is the heavy $180 Uniqlo coat that I only worn twice or three times over my whole undergraduate career.