Welcome to the inaugural edition of our Student Profile series, a project designed to highlight the diverse and fascinating individuals driving innovation within the University of Chicago Department of Chemistry. This initiative aims to go beyond the lab coat, showcasing the unique stories, passions, and perspectives of our students. We've asked them to share not just their research, but also the experiences and insights that have shaped their academic journey.
Our first featured student is Maia Czaikowski, a fifth-year graduate student from the John Anderson Lab, who provides an inside look into the dedication and intellectual curiosity that characterize our student body.
Hi Maia. Who are you, where are you from, and what was it like growing up there?
I am a fifth-year graduate student in the Anderson Lab studying metal-ligand cooperative strategies in catalysis. I grew up in Simsbury, Connecticut, which is a suburban/rural town nestled in the Farmington Valley. From where we lived, I could ride my bike to my elementary, middle, and high school. Growing up, I was lucky to have great opportunities in school that expanded my interests and made me more ambitious. I especially loved writing, and I participated in lots of essay contests as a kid (that I hope aren’t printed online anywhere). Living in Simsbury I was surrounded by extended family, especially many cousins around my age, and I’m so grateful to have always had those best friends in my life. Both of my parents and my brother work in applied science fields in one way or another (engineering/healthcare), and when we’re all together there’s no DIY project that we can’t figure out.
What's a vivid memory from your early life that you think might have subtly steered you towards a path in science?
In second grade a marine biologist came to our classroom, and we got to hear about the different creatures they brought and touch some of the animals. I didn’t care that much about the proximity to sea creatures, but I was enthralled with the idea of being an expert on things in nature that other people didn’t know about. Basically, I was an aspiring know-it-all. I can definitely see how this got lodged in my sub-conscious as I continued to take science classes and biology in school. The pivot to chemistry came later, but I think the inception of my desire to be a scientist was that school visit.
What's a concept or idea that you find endlessly fascinating, even if it's outside the realm of chemistry?
I’m fascinated by the chemistry of O2 and its electronic structure. It’s a stable and commonly encountered diradical, and the kinetic barrier to O2 reacting with the abundant singlet organic matter around us is essential to life. I find it interesting and poetic that O2 is crucial for aerobic life, but that over time it also wears us down through oxidative stress and contributes to ageing.
What's the coolest tool, gadget or technique you get to utilize or play with in your research? Are there any tools or methods you’ve learned that felt like unlocking a superpower?
Being able to utilize X-ray crystallography in my research is very cool. So often our characterization methods are indirect. We can translate lines on a spectrum to chemical structure, but getting a cif file with the solved structure plain as day is much more satisfying. Of course, X-ray data is still processed and there is human interpretation involved, but it’s the closest thing I’ve experienced to getting a snapshot of a molecule.
What's the best 'lab snack' that gets you through a long experiment? What's a recreation or 'guilty pleasure' that helps you unwind after a long day in the lab?
Protein bars stashed in my desk drawer. I love going for a walk on the lakefront and calling a friend or family member to catch up.
What's the most collaborative or teamwork-based experience you've had in the lab?
I’ve had so many collaborative experiences during graduate school. Both formal project collaborations and just working with lab-mates on day-to-day problems. To highlight a team effort that doesn’t always get credited, maintaining our lab’s gloveboxes has been an ongoing collaborative tour de force in our group. I am so appreciative of the wonderful and hardworking people who I’ve shared a glovebox with. We’ve been through regens, glove replacements, inventories, and so much troubleshooting together.
What's the potential impact of your research that you find most compelling?
Ultimately, what I think any researcher hopes is that their contributions could help improve as many lives as possible and lessen the destructive impacts of modern civilization on the environment. I am optimistic that the concepts of cooperative catalysis and electrochemistry I have studied during my PhD will be a small part of a multi-faceted global effort to address these imperatives.
What's a skill you've learned in the department that you think will be valuable in any career?
Learning perseverance through problems is the skill I most value in grad school and will be valuable in any career. The way I feel about solving a problem or learning something new is that my success is contingent on effort and attention, and much less so on innate ability. As a result, I don’t give up easily. I also hope that I’ve learned smarter ways to assess problems so that I can be more targeted and efficient in the way I address difficult tasks, although this is an ever-evolving skill that I hope to keep getting better at.
What's a perspective shift or mindset change you've experienced that's broadened your approach to problem-solving?
I used to be someone who would more often jump into trying things and figure it out as I go, but I gained more appreciation for the planning stages and returning to first principles to try and think through complex problems. I inevitably still make new discoveries and adjust my approach during the actual “doing” phase, but I save myself a lot of wasted effort by going a little deeper during the “thinking” phase.
Can you offer a piece of advice you would give to someone who is nervous about starting research?
Invest the time in lab to learn the skills, accept that you won’t be perfect right away, and ask lots of questions.
What guidance would you offer for building strong and supportive relationships with peers and mentors in the department?
Make time for fun and get to know who people are outside of work.
Anything else you’d like to share or shout out?
I’d like to shout out everyone in the Anderson group, past and present. I have met the kindest and smartest people here, and I feel so lucky to work with them. I’d also like to highlight my PI, John, who is at the helm of the operation and has been such a supportive mentor. I’ve learned so much from him not only about science but also about leadership.
To see Maia Czaikowski’s research impact, find her contributions on Google Scholar