Xuanchang Hu
Xuanchang Hu is a graduating senior at the University of Washington majoring in electrical & computer engineering. His research interest lies in signal processing and embedded systems. With a passion for protecting the ecological environment, his experiences conducting the development of a rapid assay and a portable device to detect tuna species and utilization of electrical chemical sensors to identify salmon species.
Xuanchang began his research in his junior year under the mentorship of Dr. Nuttada Panpradist. He collaborated with his teammates on the tuna project. This project aims to curb Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing by identifying caught fish whose heads were cut off by criminals and thus hard to distinguish. Xuanchang utilized the skills of signal processing to develop a Python-based algorithm that analyzes the fluorescence intensity of the sample image produced by a heating device with light filters. His research abstract was selected by the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Conference 2023 and he gave a presentation during the conference.
With the support of Thomas Sedlock Icon Scholarship and Mary Gates Research Scholarship, Xuanchang can invest more funds in the salmon project to purchase necessary sensors and heating devices that can heat the salmon sample. Also, the scholarships can reduce the pressure of tuition fees to help Xuanchang focus on his courses and research. This research will help protect fish and maintain the marine ecological environment.
Xuanchang is grateful to her research mentor Dr. Nuttada Panpradist, Professor Karl F. Böhringer, and Mr. John E Brown III for their support.
In addition to his researches, Xuanchang also loves photography and traveling. He is passionate about road trips and likes to use his camera to record the scenery along the way.
Goals
In the short term, Xuanchang plans to pursue a master's degree in electrical engineering, focusing on computer systems, signal processing, and artificial intelligence. In the long term, Xuanchang plans to become an expert in electrical engineering, either in industry or academia. Xuanchang hopes to continue to contribute to the protection of fish ecology.
Tips
I hope that applicants can start to find a research project that interests them during their sophomore or junior year and continue doing it. This will make your application essay full of content and demonstrate your interest in research and your future outlook.
