Meet Alumni:

Kaien Yang

2016 Young Scientist Challenge Finalist

Kaien is a sophomore at Standford University majoring in Computer Science with an AI track. He works with robots and machine learning, and plays for Stanford’s club tennis team.

What have you been up to since participating in the 3M Young Scientist Challenge?

It feels just like yesterday when I was touring the 3M Innovation Center and cheering on my fellow finalists, but here we are six years later! College is a magical experience full of discovery and boundless excitement. A highlight of my time has been joining the Stanford IRIS Lab, where I apply machine learning to robotics and develop algorithms to help robots learn from data.

Are you involved in any school teams or clubs, if so which ones?

I'm on the Stanford club tennis team — bonding with my teammates at practices and tournaments is always a highlight of my week.

What are your plans for the future?

I want to innovate at the nexus of AI and autonomy, whether it be conducting research in a lab, developing products at a dynamic startup, driving high-impact technologies at a large corporation, or all of the above!

What advice do you have for a student who is considering entering the 3M Young Scientist Challenge? How would you say the 3M Young Scientist Challenge has impacted your life?

By all means, DO IT! The 3M Young Scientist Challenge has given me a broad network of peers and friends, greater confidence in my scientific abilities, and the memories of a lifetime.

Have you stayed in contact with your 3M mentor? Anything you’d like to share about your experience working with a 3M mentor?

My 3M mentor Dr. Mahfuza Ali has made an immense impact on me. She's a world-class scientist, Carlton Society inductee, and a tremendous mentor to many students. Ever since our first call together in summer 2016, Dr. Ali has provided ongoing guidance to me. I'm so glad we've stayed in touch after the 3M Young Scientist Challenge. Anyone who has her as a mentor is beyond lucky.