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Congratulations to our first undergraduate cohort, and the next generation of leaders in human peformance

August 30, 2022

Related To: Education

Apply for the Wu Tsai Performance Undergraduate Research Program

Congratulations to our inaugural cohort of Wu Tsai Performance Undergraduate Research Scholars! The hands-on research experience and our community have given our scholars the skills, resources, and confidence to succeed in a career in human performance. We would like to celebrate and congratulate these excellent scholars on their success and thank them for being an incredible first cohort.

I’ve grown so much as a scholar by being in the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance. I feel much more knowledgeable of what research looks & feels like. I also feel like a much more capable candidate for grad programs and industry through my research training.

2022 Undergraduate Scholar

The Experience

Day in the Life of an Undergrad Researcher

Experience a day in the life of Stanford undergraduate and Wu Tsai Human Performance Undergraduate Scholar Carly Mae Smith ’23, as she conducts summer research in the Heller Lab.

Watch the full video

The Evolution

It was incredible to see our scholars grow through their journeys in class developing research skills and confidence in sharing their ideas, to seeing them executing technical work in the lab and explaining their research to one another in weekly coffee chats. At the Summer Research Symposium they shared their research progress and also journeys in learning the ups and down of the research process. Now we are excited as they expand beyond our community but stay connected as the next leaders in human performance. Read these leaders’ reflections on their Wu Tsai Performance experiences.

Tatum Boyd '23

“I used to think research was a stiff, intimidating process that I wasn’t certain I was capable of doing. Now I think research is exciting, eye opening, and a very malleable process that I enjoy being part of.”

Maya Shetty '22

“I used to think you needed to know everything about a research area to conduct a project within it, now I think you can learn along the way and provide valuable insights by drawing form all the fields you have worked in.”

William Pan '25

“I used to think that we needed 10,000 hours (inspired by Malcolm Gladwell) to succeed (still true) but now I think it is important to take breaks and reflect on the past, present, and future steps of the journey before putting your head down.”

Katie Duong '23

“I used to think that research was a step-by-step process. Now I think that research is something that evolves over time. Your methods and even your question of interest will likely change throughout the process.”

Zachary Teplin '23

“I used to think mistakes were a failure, now I think mistakes are integral to research and how you learn.”

Jason Kaul '23

“I used to think research was a linear process and if done properly, would end with results that match my initial hypothesis. Now I think that research is a journey of successes and failures that often lead you down a path you wouldn’t expect and lead to new questions to explore.”

Learn about the 2022 scholars and their research

Gallery

Top Advice for Future Scholars

100% of the scholars from last year would recommend this program to a friend. Here are five tips from them to you:

Don’t be scared if you don’t know what’s going on sometimes. You will figure it out.
Truly invest in this community and make the most out of your time. The Alliance is built to foster interdisciplinary conversations, so use that aspect to explore your interests.
Get involved in your lab community, don’t be afraid to ask others besides your mentors for help!
Connect with other lab members to hear about their experiences.
Don’t undersell your passion or abilities.