#SoCaltech: Sophia Charan

“When I started grad school, I thought I had to choose science and leave all of my other interests behind. Over time, I realized that not only is that not the case, but exploring other perspectives and enrichment can make you a better scientist. (My advice to Caltech students: take the cooking and writing classes and check out the humanities talks!) My focus has always been on fighting climate change, and I’ve tried to follow my interests to make an impact. That started as researching nontraditional sources of urban aerosols and transitioned into a summer at the Idaho Statesman, a newspaper in Boise, through a AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellowship. Like in my research, I started story ideas with one question, followed leads and talked to people, and ended up answering something totally different. I loved doing PSA-style pieces that explained science or policy to readers, for example, on which direction you should switch your fan in the winter versus the summer.”

Sophia Charan (PhD ’21) earned her degree in chemical engineering with a minor in environmental science and engineering. She is now the Hellman Fellow in Science and Technology Policy at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, where she helps develop policy solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change. 

#SoCaltech is an occasional series celebrating the diverse individuals who give Caltech its spirit of excellence, ambition, and ingenuity. Know someone we should profile? Send nominations to magazine@caltech.edu.