Always Sunny in Atlanta!

I live aside from the main campus on the seventh floor of a high building commonly nicknamed Towers. I have a beautiful view over trees growing in the natural reservation, Lullwater Park, that is not even a five-minute walking distance from Towers. Lullwater looks a bit like a tropical forest with a magnificent big lake in the middle. We often go for a run there with Emory Obstacle Runners as a part of our trainings. When the dusk is falling, the fireflies start to dance around the grass straws and tamed dear pasture only four meters away from the footpaths.

Sunny weather rules Atlanta 95 % of the time. The first week after my arrival it was more than 30 °C and perfectly blue skies every single day and even later autumn days are warm and full of sun. Atlanta is also famous for very humid air – up to 80 %; it does not make much difference walking outside or swimming in the outdoor pool located right next to Towers. Local people are incredibly nice, more open than British I would say, and they are always willing to help. If a typical British saw you struggling, they would wait until you approach them and ask for help. Contrary to that, Americans offer their help themselves whenever they see you only looking confused. 

But let’s continue on a different note. What is my mission in Atlanta? I am researching energy transfer from quantum dots to acceptor molecules. I try to catch photons from the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum (simply sun light) with the aid of nanoparticles of cadmium selenide. This process of energy transfer is followed by annihilation of two lower energy photons to create one photon of higher energy. If my proposed combination of donor-acceptor molecules proves functional, I will try to tune the system to be able to catch infra-red light as well and convert it into a visible part of the spectrum. This research has a potential application in the solar cell industry or manufacture of alternative night-vision goggles. My research group of 17 people consists of Chinese nationalities except for me and a Post-Doctorate student named Laura. Most of the Chinese have their English at a good communicational level, but despite this fact, they always prefer communicating in Chinese with one another which gives Laura and I a hard time to join the conversation.

The university curriculum is so diverse and offers so many interesting subjects and activities which makes me sometimes nearly regret that I am officially allowed to take only scientific subjects. I don’t have much free time, but I am trying to maximally use every free moment I get. Besides taking opera singing lessons I decided to give a go to something I haven’t done before – obstacle running. It is something like parkour merged with military training. You can run say ten-kilometres trail while having to surmount obstacles in the form of mud pits, barb wire, tall walls, monkey bars, etc. Despite getting to the finish line exhausted and completely covered by mud, it is an amazing feeling and a great way to unwind yourself from everyday stress!