Who Am I?

Hello everyone. My name is Nils Strand and, although I recently lived in Maryland, near D.C., I am originally from Norway. A rising sophomore, I am currently participating in the Semiconductor Research Corporation as part of the UROP Summer Fellowships. I have lived in Norway for about nine years, until I moved to the U.S., where I have lived since.

As an undergraduate student here at the University of Michigan, I hope to pursue studies in physical science and potentially, computer science. Since my high school years I have fostered a passion for laboratory work. During the summer before my junior year of high school, I was an intern in a Chemistry lab, working with various polymers known as polyolefins, and which are most commonly referred to as plastic. I had a great time working there, and this single experience sparked my interest in physical science. I am now working in a Physics laboratory, a slightly different environment than that of my past lab experience. My work with SRC involves the use of semiconductor nanostructures called quantum dots as effective single photon sources for quantum computing applications.

A hobby of mine outside of academics, which I have pursued since the age of five, is violin. Even today, I am improving my skills, taking, for instance, private lessons and playing within a larger ensemble. I also like to play various types of sports, though not necessarily competitively. Every once in a while, I go for a run outside just to clear my head and simply enjoy the fresh air.

An interesting fact about me, I would say, is that I know a total of four languages fluently. In addition to English and Norwegian, I can also speak Spanish and French. My father being from Norway and my mother from Peru, both met for the first time in the U.S. during a conference at MIT. Had they not met there, I would not exist! In addition to the four languages, I also took two years of German in high school.