Her research focuses on ultrathin materials and devices, but Yijing Stehle, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, has a wide array of interests beyond her academic discipline.
She loves biking, hiking, yoga and traveling, and her go-to reading material includes comic books. She’s also a big fan of great food and makes a point of sampling local fare wherever she travels. One of her all-time favorite meals is hotpot (also called Shabu or sukiyaki).
Stehl, who joined Union in 2019, serves as co-director of interdisciplinary programs in nanotechnology with current research related to the graphene application in renewable energy, sensing and filtration. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Miami.
FIRST APP YOU LOOK AT IN THE MORNING:
The first thing I look at is my clock. I always wake up minutes before my alarm rings, but if it were not there, I would wake up late.
ONE BOOK YOU HAVE READ MULTIPLE TIMES:
I love comic books. However, the book I happen to read multiple times in one year would be the textbook. It is important to know that a good textbook is not intended just to be read, but to be used as a reference book.
BEST ADVICE YOU EVER RECEIVED:
One of the best pieces of advice I have received is “stay positive, be patient, persistent and proactive.” It is so true and so hard to perform. There are many things we work hard at for a long time, and it may feel so hopeless sometimes that we want to give up. But if you know it is the right thing to do and you are on the right track, perform all those “P” words smartly, and you will get there finally.
FAVORITE SPOT ON CAMPUS:
Our campus is absolutely beautiful. One of my favorite spots would be Jackson’s Garden. I love how it was designed to have continual bloom and seasonal color. I also really love the Mohawk-Hudson Bike Trail, which runs by College Park Hall. You can head east or west from there and both directions lead to a fun ride.
GO-TO BREAKFAST:
Smoothie with omelet
NETFLIX OR AMAZON:
Netflix has better animation than Amazon. But my favorites are HBO and Disney because they have “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” and “Star Wars.”
FAVORITE PODCAST:
I am not a podcast person.
ONE SKILL YOU WISH YOU HAD:
There are so many skills I wish I had. One would be to swim. I tried many times and still was not able to get it. I will keep trying.
ANOTHER SUBJECT YOU WISH YOU COULD TEACH:
I love the course I am teaching right now, Material Science. Material exists in all aspects of our life, and the continuous development of the materials could make our lives better and the world cleaner.
