Luke

Excelling in chemistry research as an undergraduate

Discover how Caltech chemistry major Luke Zhou developed his passion for inorganic chemistry and found hands-on research opportunities starting his first year.

Luke Zhou ‘25, a native of Chino, California, always harbored a passion for chemistry. So during his college search, he looked for a nearby university where he could specialize in the field. It turns out that the nation's top undergraduate chemistry program, according to U.S. News & World Report, was just an hour's drive away—Caltech.

Once he enrolled as a chemistry major, Luke quickly learned how Caltech earned its exceptional reputation. Not only did the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering have a low student-to-faculty ratio, but leading researchers in the field worked directly with Caltech students, also known as Techers.

"Professor Linda Hsieh-Wilson was just inducted into the National Academy of Sciences in 2022, and she's just casually teaching us introductory organic chemistry," he said in awe. "It's a great experience to be near such amazing professors."

Real-World Chemistry Experience in the Classroom

Another professor who left an impact on Luke's academic journey is Professor Theodor Agapie, who had students in his Intermediate Inorganic Chemistry course write research proposals about specific topics in the field.

"At first, we all thought, ‘Why do we have to do this? Why can't we just do a lecture?'" he said, laughing at the memory. "In the end, I'm grateful because I learned how to write and critique proposals based on National Institutes of Health guidelines. That's real-world experience."

Then in a Advanced Techniques of Synthesis and Analysis course, Professor Agapie had Techers perform lab techniques that graduate students and researchers use in their experiments.

"It's not some hold-your-hand-through-chemistry lab, but it's real-life techniques," he described. "For example, he taught us how to use a blowtorch to seal up some glass tubes, and that was so cool."

Research Opportunities in Inorganic Chemistry

At Caltech, Luke found himself drawn to the subdiscipline of inorganic chemistry, which studies the properties of metals, minerals, and organometallic compounds.

"The field of inorganic chemistry is burgeoning right now," he said excitedly. "It's in a state where we're making a lot of crucial discoveries into sustainability technology, how we can make fuels more green, and similar areas."

During his first year, Luke found an opportunity to join an inorganic chemistry lab through a "pizza course," in which faculty present their current research to first-year Techers over lunch. In one session, Professor Jonas Peters shared his research on inorganic chemistry and its applications in renewable energy and sustainability.

"I thought, ‘Dang, his research is cool,' and so I sent him an email," Luke recalled. "When we met, he said, ‘Alright, let me hook you up with someone in my lab.'"

So Luke began working with the Peters Group, where he synthesizes transition metal complexes, including lanthanide coordination complexes. He researches their reactivity, especially in relation to radical-based organic transformations and the reduction of nitrogen into ammonia.

"You don't have to be the most genius of geniuses to start working in the lab," Luke said earnestly. "You can learn on the job what you need to do, and we have great graduate mentors who are willing to teach and show you the tricks of the trade."

In fact, because of Caltech's emphasis on undergraduate research, students like Luke work in labs starting in their second or third terms.

A Balance Between Work and Fun

But it's not all coursework and labs for Techers.

"We have actual lives here, too," Luke said with a laugh. "Certainly, we're busy, but we do take the time to relax, rest, and do other stuff."

Some of his extracurricular activities have carried on from high school. He is the principal trombonist for the Caltech Orchestra, which performs every term. On Fridays, he joins the Caltech Badminton Club.

One of Luke's favorite Caltech student activities is Ditch Day. It originates from a tradition where Caltech seniors would skip classes and leave campus for a day. In order to prevent mischievous underclassmen from disturbing their rooms while they were gone, seniors would stack obstacles to prevent entry. This soon became an annual event in which seniors spend the year creating an elaborate "stack" or puzzle for other students to solve while they ditch their responsibilities.

"So we'll sign up for these stacks and have a whole day of fun planned by the seniors. Last time we went to laser tag after finishing a fun day of activities and puzzles," he reminisced. "I always like it because it's the last time you get to have fun with your senior friends before they go off and do bigger things."

The Caltech Difference in the Chemistry Major and Beyond

While Caltech's chemistry and chemical engineering division does challenge its students, Luke said the supportive environment among chemistry students in labs and study rooms makes it stand apart.

"There's also very rarely any competition at all, which I appreciate. I can just freely go to my classmates and ask to collaborate," he explained. "Frankly speaking, we're all trying to pass the class, but we are also willing to do it together, and that's very much like real life in research where people work together."

Luke believes this environment and the hands-on, practical experience from his chemistry major courses and labs have prepared him to continue in inorganic chemistry research.

"My goal right now is to go for grad school and a PhD," he said. "Caltech has given us plenty of opportunities to do research, and we take graduate-level courses in undergrad, so I feel well-prepared for grad school."