Andrea Armani

Dr Andrea Armani

Irani Chair and Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA

Irani Chair and Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science| University of Southern California

Address

Los Angeles, CA

Website

http://armani.usc.edu

What I Do

As a professor, I lead a research group which invents new types of optical devices, like lasers, to study living cells and proteins. I also teach an undergraduate class on nanomaterials.
Why Engineering?

While I really enjoyed my undergraduate and graduate coursework in physics and biology, I am more interested in applying this knowledge to real-life applications. Engineering allows me to do this.
School Days

University of Chicago, BA physics; California Institute of Technology, PhD Applied Physics, minor Biology
My Day At Work

One of the best things about engineering is that every day is different. Some days are filled with success and excitement, when experiments work, but some days are filled with learning moments, when things fail. This variability is exciting!
Best Part

When something works, and I make a real difference in society!
Proud Moments

There are so many! Mentoring several undergraduates to successfully complete their degrees and continue on to graduate school. Seeing several of my inventions being adopted by companies and translated to society. Developing curriculum for middle and high schools to improve education.
Challenges

Discovering and inventing new things isn't easy, but the adage "try, try again" is extremely appropriate in the field of engineering. You should never give up on an experiment because it fails the first time.
My Family

I'm from Memphis TN and married to another engineer. We have two dogs and a cat.
Dreams and Goals

Short term: see my students graduate and be fabulously successful. Long term: see my students help other students to be successful.
Inspiration

There are three main people. A graduate student (Dr. Ward Lopes) that I met when I was an undergraduate and my two post-doc advisors (Prof. Scott Fraser and Prof. Richard Flagan, both at Caltech). But this list could include many people. It is impossible to list all of the people who have inspired and motivated me at key points in my life.
Want to be an Engineer?

Never give up.
Additional Thoughts

Engineering is one of the few degrees that trains you to learn. In that sense, it is a springboard into any field. My undergrads have stayed in engineering, but they have also moved into business, law, medicine, finance, cooking (yes! one is a pastry chef), and many other fields. So, getting a degree in engineering sets the stage for the rest of your career - whether it is in engineering or something else!
Hobbies

Running, eating chocolate, reading

Andrea Armani grew up in Memphis, TN. From there, she moved to Chicago, where she received her BA in physics from the University of Chicago (2001) and her PhD in applied physics with a minor in biology from the California Institute of Technology (2007). After spending a couple additional years at Caltech for her post-doc in biology and chemical engineering, she joined the Viterbi School of Engineering at the University of Southern California. She is currently the Ray Irani Chair of Engineering and Materials Science and a Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Electrical Engineering-Electrophysics at the University of Southern California. Her research group, which includes undergraduate students, PhD students and post-docs, develops new types of optical devices (like lasers) and uses them to study how biological systems work. This research is very interdisciplinary and requires students to draw on all fields of science and engineering. Prof. Armani has received several awards and has been recognized by numerous agencies, including the ONR Young Investigator Award, Technology Review Top 35 Innovators under 35, USC Mellon Mentoring Award for Undergraduate Mentoring, NIH New Innovator Award, Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, Popular Science's Brilliant 10, World Economic Forum's Young Scientist Award, World Economic Forum's Young Global Leader, STS Forum Future Leader, and the Hanna Reisler Award for Mentoring. She spends her free time with her husband, her two dogs and her cat, and enjoys running in the Los Angeles area.