Student Spotlight: Juri Alhuthali

08/28/2023

^{Image 1: Juri Alhuthali, rising junior at the University of California, Los Angeles majoring in Physics.}

Every year, KGSP students engage in summer enrichment activities that promote their academic, professional, and personal goals. These activities may include internships, fellowships, and research. The KGSP supports and guides students as they explore exciting opportunities at their home universities and other institutions or corporations in or to learn from leading industry professionals and researchers.

Juri Alhuthali, a rising junior at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) majoring in Physics, spent her summer as a research assistant under professor Zhongbo Kang’s Research Group in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at UCLA. Juri was drawn to this opportunity after taking a physics course with Professor Kang, and jumped at the chance to gain more experience in physics research. Her work in the program primarily involved programming and data analysis to better understand particle physics. “I was tasked with working on a python code that allowed me to compute hadron production in proton-proton collisions,” Juri noted. “I then used the theoretical knowledge I gained from the research articles and textbook to describe data from the Large Hadron Collider.” She hopes her time at the lab will better prepare her for research on the electronic and structural properties of nanostructured systems, a topic she hopes to pursue at KAUST.

“Searching for a research opportunity has taught me that it does not matter whether or not I know what it is I want to pursue for my future career,” Juri said.  “In time I will find the area of research meant for me but in order to do that, I need to keep moving forward and explore the beautiful world of modern physics.”

Engaging in enrichment opportunities provides KGSP students with the experience of working in professional environments that contribute to their growth. The KGSP encourages students to participate in activities that not only support their career goals but also opens them up to a diverse array of cultures and industries, lending them the tools to become leading changemakers.