Grace (Qianxizi) Yue

Bachelor of Science in Physics

Hailing from Nanjing, China, Grace (Qianxizi) Yue chose the University of Otago for two main reasons: the beautiful campus and the range of modules offered. Statistical mechanics was her favourite subject. “It’s a combination of statistics and probability theory,” Yue says. “If we know the way particles behave at a microscopic level, statistical mechanics allows us to explain and predict the macroscopic behaviour of matter. I think that's really cool.” 

While taking part in experimental and theoretical physics research projects, Yue had fun working on a group project to solve the non-linear Schrodinger equation. “Each member contributed to a different part of the project – I did the coding,” she says. “It taught me how to collaborate with different people and use our different strengths to maximise the outcome.”

This year, inspired by all she’s gained from the statistical mechanics class, Yue has shifted her focus to theoretical superconductivity research. Throughout this journey, the support and resources from the university have made a great difference to her. “I received world-class lectures in different areas of physics, and they are all delivered by lecturers with education and research backgrounds from different parts of the world,” she says. “By applying for the summer research scholarships, I had the great opportunity to explore a range of different areas of research and helped me to discover which area is the most attractive to me as well.”