PS找美国老师修改后的版本求建议

I have been involved in different research projects since my freshman year of university, from synthesis of an organic supermolecule to renewable energy research about flow batteries, to independent study of organic electrode materials. But it was not until one year ago, when I started bird watching as a hobby, that I realized that I had always maintained interests in nature and environment, and the world around me was more attractive to me as a research topic. It was at that tipping point that I decided to link my major together with my interests, and specialize in environmental chemistry in my graduate school years.

Therefore, when I got the opportunity to go abroad as a visiting undergraduate, I chose to work with Dr. Miriam Freedman on atmospheric chemistry at Penn State University. I was excited that I had finally gained the opportunity to study a real environmental issue. My current project is to test the immersion freezing ability of silver nanoparticles attached with organic functional groups. Ice nucleation plays a crucial role in climate, through processes such as cloud forming, precipitation, and the Earth’s radiative properties. Many factors such as composition and morphology will affect ice nucleation and my project focuses on the influence of surface functional groups. In the two months that I have been in the Freedman group, I have tried to synthesize silver nanoparticles attached with five different groups and test the ice nucleation ability for one of them. During this process, I acquired a sense of achievement. For me this research is not just about science, it also opens a door to join the people who are addressing climate change. Such pride motivates me to continue my research in my graduate years.

I have contacted Dr. Allan Bertram at UBC, who has shown an interest in me joining his group, because his research is a perfect extension to my current project. Based on what I have learned and what I expect to do in the future, I made a research plan with two main divisions. Now that I have been working on how functional groups work on ice nucleation, I want to know how other composition and morphology factors affect it, such as shape, cracks and porosity. Research about this issue will help us understand the mechanism and kinetics of ice nucleation of different aerosol particles in the real atmosphere. My eventual goal is to build a model according to the tested factors, to evaluate the ice nucleation ability of specific particles.

Building a model is far from enough. It still needs to be tested for practical use. The field measurements of ice nuclei in Dr. Bertram’s group will improve my model with data from the real atmosphere. So my next step will be working with field researchers to collect ice nucleation data of aerosol particles from different geographical locations. These data, along with the pre-existing global distribution map of aerosol particles, will be used to test the accuracy of the model and refine it. Predictably, the updated model will play a part in assessing global climate change and improve the accuracy of climate models as it will clarify the role of ice and mixed phase clouds.

UBC’s attractions to me are diverse. As a former manager of the publication department of the student union, I know the importance and delight of meeting new people and listening to ideas from different minds. Therefore, the diversity of people at the campus and surrounding community makes it a perfect place for me. But most importantly, I am attracted by its outstanding academic reputation. I understand the goal of establishing a universal model is very ambitious. But on the strength of my professional experiences, my love for both the natural world and chemistry and the vast possibilities UBC can provide, I have faith that I am the ideal candidate for the chemistry PhD program at UBC, where I can fulfill my ambition.