Cullen Buie, PhD Student

Stanford Microfluidics Laboratory, ME

Why I Chose Stanford
When I was applying to graduate school I evaluated all of my options based upon three criteria: research opportunities, breadth of courses offered, and the ability to meet people in disciplines outside of my own. Of all the schools I applied to, Stanford was the strongest in each of those areas. At the time I wasn't totally sure what kind of research I wanted to perform so having the ability to explore a vast number of areas, both in and out of the classroom, was important to me. In addition, I love the fact that Stanford is not just a world class engineering school, but also has top notch humanities, business, law, and medical programs. I enjoy interacting with students in different fields and I chose Stanford so that I could build cross-disciplinary relationships that might be beneficial in the future.

What I Work On
I work in the Stanford Microfluidics Laboratory under the direction of Associate Professor Juan Santiago. Currently my research focuses on advanced water management techniques for hydrogen based proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). PEMFCs are promising alternative energy conversion devices that hold the potential for high energy densities while being safe for the environment. Hydrogen PEMFCs use air and hydrogen to produce electrical energy, heat, and water. At times the water produced by the fuel cell can limit its operation and our research focuses on alleviating the issues associated with water build up.

What's Great About Studying Here
The thing I like most about being a student at Stanford is the freedom to explore nearly anything that sparks my interest. Whatever the topic, Stanford not only has other people working on it but they're generally pioneers in the field. I must admit, sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming because you can't possibly explore all of the interesting research going on here. Nevertheless, when you do find what you'd like to focus on, all of the resources you need to be successful are within your reach.

What I Hope to Do
Right now my options are pretty wide open. I'm interested in academia but since I came to graduate school directly out of undergraduate studies, I might like to get some industry experience first. Either way I plan on continuing to work in fuel cells and other energy-related areas.