Meet Alumni:

Leanne Fan

2022 3M Young Scientist Challenge Winner
2026 Alumni Grant Recipient

Leanne was awarded the Science in Your Community Grant for her work on “SEMI Sustainability Youth Network (SSYN),” an initiative that empowers high school and college students to become sustainability-driven leaders in the global semiconductor industry through mentorship, education, and real-world problem solving.

About their Project

I want to grow the SEMI Sustainability Youth Network (SSYN), which empowers high school and college students to become sustainability-driven leaders in the global semiconductor industry. Through connecting students with industry experts, helping develop projects, and integrating local sustainability challenges into education, SSYN equips youth with the skills, literacy, and global perspective needed to shape a more equitable and sustainable future for everyone.

So far, I have held my first webinar with a sustainability director from Apple, where around a dozen students across the US tuned in to learn about her life path and how Apple incorporated sustainable practices into the production of most of their products. I also spoke at the SEMI conference in Japan where I met representatives and researchers from the UN. We are planning a research competition with ASML, a chips manufacturing company, in which they are offering to provide mentorships for students to create solutions related to the Tijuana sewage crisis.

What was the inspiration behind your project?

My grant project was inspired by my local science fair, the Greater San Diego Science Fair, where I served on the Student Leadership Board and had the opportunity to mentor other young students. Watching my mentees and friends grow over the years with the fair, not only as people but also as scientists and inventors, was such a rewarding experience, and I wanted to continue having that impact on people.