June 9th, 2024

A solace from the business of college life for Zejun can be found in the comfort of her kitchen while baking. Zejun’s love for cooking is not as simple as an artistic venture or a desire to eat well, but an extension of her passion for engineering. The slightest details including the  amount of baking soda, time in the oven, ratio of sugar to salt and dough texture all factor into the methodical approach that Zejun takes to baking. For her, baking is an exploration of thermodynamics, chemistry and systems engineering.

Baking is not the only avenue that Zejun applies her methodical attention to detail and passion for experimentation. As the Chief engineer on the UCI Rocket Project Liquids Team and former Avionics Lead, Zejun is proficient in the delicate dance of time management required to produce a successful rocket. To her, managing the variables required comes down to a deep confidence and ability to invest in her team.

Zejun’s abilities to troubleshoot dynamic problems and guide her team find their way into all of the various aspects of her life both in the kitchen and in the lab.

How did you get involved on the rocket project at the UCI Samueli School of Engineering?

I started the rocket project as an avionics general member where I learned the basics of rocketry and avionics. My second year, I became the avionics lead where I oversaw the electronics during launch and over test fires. This year I am the Chief Engineer which means I set requirements, looking at failures from the first launch and finding ways to innovate going into the next launch. I think being on the avionics team, I was able to take the fundamentals from my classes and extend them to hands-on experiences that I was able to practice.

How do you support your team members to optimize your results?

I think I took inspiration from my internship this past summer where I was able to be mentored by excellent engineers. This changed the way I analyze projects as a whole. Now whenever I start a project, I look at the fundamental requirements and the desired outcomes. Then I look for potential roadblocks and analyze the most efficient way to solve the problem.

What advice would you give to a younger student to achieve their goals in engineering?

I think the biggest thing that I really appreciate doing is getting out of your comfort zone. Rocket Project is competitive but I took a chance and applied. As a leader and as a woman in engineering, there are definitely some added challenges and imposter syndrome that I encountered. Building confidence along the way to break down a really big goal into small tasks helped me through this. Looking back at how I was able to challenge myself and think on the spot really helped me. Reaching out to our past Chief Engineers and subteam leads helped me grow significantly. You would be surprised how willing people are to support you because we have all struggled before.

What has helped you to build confidence as an engineer?

I think confidence for me is never built in one day just as Rome was not built in one day. I like to look at the smaller things that can guide me towards my goals. It is the ability to put time, effort and passion into what I’m doing. In my second year, I was put in a situation where I really had to think on the spot and make decisions everyday especially when we were about to launch. The funny thing is that on the testfire, the control box snapped into two halves because the tank was not secure. Fortunately I packed switches and a soldering station so that night I was able to brainstorm what I wanted to do. Making informed decisions and collaborating with a team is the most important thing that I was able to learn from the last few years. Overcoming technical difficulty under pressure got me to where I am today.