First place prize in The 57th ACS DFW Meeting-in-Miniature

Yesterday, I attended the ACS DFW Meeting-in-Miniature, and I’m honored to share that I was awarded First Place in the Physical Chemistry division for my oral presentation.

My talk focused on investigating how oriented external electric fields perturb the rotational potential energy surface of chemical systems. The research explores how applying directional electric fields can influence molecular behavior, with potential implications for controlling chemical reactivity and dynamics. Basically, I study how we can use an external electric field just in the right direction to make a molecule behave in weird and (probably) useful ways.

Aside from my own presentation, I caught a super cool talk in the materials session that also ended up winning first prize in its category. The presentation was about a hybrid crystal that responds reversibly to external stimuli like temperature and pH, with the potential to act as a controllable artificial muscle. Fascinating stuff!

Huge thanks to the organizers, judges, and fellow presenters—this conference is always a great experience, and this year’s surprise win made it extra special. I’ve heard that next year’s MiM will be hosted by Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, TX. If there are no schedule conflicts, I plan to attend again in 2026. If you’re thinking about going—see you there!