-By Taruna Rapaka
Jose Manuel Taboada Vasquez is a B.Sc. graduate in nanoscience and nanotechnology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico. He will join KAUST in the fall of 2020 as a M.S./Ph.D. candidate, and member of the Advanced Semiconductor Laboratory under the supervision of Professor Xiaohang Li.
What was your main subject during your undergraduate degree? Why did you choose it?
I specialized in nanofabrication and microelectronics. In my thesis dissertation project, I developed a low-cost method for analyzing ferroelectric samples using Resonant Tracking Piezo Force Microscopy (RTPM). I choose my subject because I was interested in electronics, and how it works, since I was a teenager.
Why have you chosen to study a M.S./Ph.D. at KAUST?
I choose to study at KAUST because it offers a lot of opportunities. Also, I believe KAUST is an excellent place for developing myself in an incredible international community.
When did your interest in electrical engineering arise? What are your research interests?
Since I was a teenager, I always liked to read about new gadgets and hardware that computing companies were releasing. I am a curious person, and my research interests are vast, but, at KAUST, I will study the basic materials of all the electronics: semiconductors.
What do you do in your spare time? What are you passionate about?
In my spare time, I like to play guitar, sing, read and play videogames. I also enjoy walking, drinking coffee, and practicing Yoga. I am passionate about learning all that I can. I always try to learn something new every day.
What is your future outlook?
In the future, I want to be a researcher working for a university. A researcher who is developing new technologies that will help humanity’s problems.
Can you give a piece of advice to students who plan to pursue a M.S./Ph.D. at KAUST?
Always be yourself and try to do your best in all the things that you do.
