Humor Is Humans’ Best Skill

Picture of Ngaatendwe Manyika ('27), a Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics major, researched developing nano-porous devices for water filtration under the mentorship of Dr. Marija Drndić (Department of Physics and Astronomy) through the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program.
Ngaatendwe Manyika (’27), a Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics major, researched developing nano-porous devices for water filtration under the mentorship of Dr. Marija Drndić (Department of Physics and Astronomy) through the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program.

Nanotechnology receives praise in physics, the medical world, and all that lies between. I first heard about nanotechnology in a high school class and was drawn to the mystery of what this field of study entitled for humanity. I wanted to know more. So when I saw the opportunity to work in the Drndić group investigating the multidisciplinary use of silicon nitride nanotechnology, from biological system applications to water filtration, I was very excited. My specific project was focused on the fabrication process of silicon nitride for nano-porous devices.

This summer I learned a lot! There was emphasis on critical thinking and project management. When learning how to use the machinery, my mentors gave me and my fellow undergraduates academic freedom to improve the pre-existing methods. This allowed me to suggest new ways to scan a silicon nitride chip using Pythagoras’s theorem—one of my more popular suggestions.

This entry was written by Ngaatendwe Manyika. To read about her full experience, please visit PennCURF.

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