A Brief Journey into Andree’s Academic and Professional Interests
Hello and welcome to my blog! My name is Andree Coschizza, and I am a fourth year student pursuing a B.Sc Physics with a Minor in Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia. My degree focuses on general physical phenomena (eg. classical and quantum mechanics, solid state physics, physical modelling), and kinesiology courses more focused in human mechanics. Upon entering university, I knew I wanted to use sciences to develop technology and help others, but I was unsure of which direction to pursue. As a result, this blend of courses allows me to explore two different career paths and see how I can use my knowledge of both subjects to create different technologies.
For the past few years I have had the opportunity to explore different aspects of the health sciences that combines together human kinetics and physics. Last summer I volunteered at a hospital specializing in prosthetics and orthopedics and was able to shadow technicians who made specialized devices for people with physical disabilities. As one of the only public institutions in Western Canada to specialize in prosthetics, this position was a really interesting opportunity to see a potential career field and blend together my two subjects. On the other hand, I’ve spent the past year TA-ing 100 level Physics courses and working at Geering Up, a UBC based club that promotes STEM education among K-12 students. I’ve found I really enjoy teaching and spreading my love for sciences, and hope that whatever I plan to do in the future can incorporate this.
At the moment, I am interested in solid state research and am currently doing a co-op placement at the University of Wuerzburg, Germany. At this placement, my team and I study nanostructure technology, and characterize transport properties of topological insulator materials.