Steven Hsieh, who is from New Taipei City, Taiwan, will be graduating this spring with a bachelor’s in food science and biology and a certificate in fermented food and beverages. In this Q&A, he talks about why he chose the food science major, his experience with research and the CALS Honors in Research program, and student organizations he is involved in. Steven plans to stay at UW–Madison and pursue a master’s in bacteriology.
What’s your hometown? / Where did you grow up?
My hometown is New Taipei City, Taiwan! For most of my life, I grew up and went to school in the Taipei area generally, though I did spend a few years in Hong Kong as my dad works there. Regardless, coming to Madison for college was definitely a big shift!
Why did you choose your major? What was the most interesting or the coolest thing you learned in your courses?
Initially, I chose to be a biology major as I was interested in many areas of life sciences. I wanted to spend my time in college exploring the different disciplines and figuring out what I may want to focus on for my career. In my second semester, I joined Dr. Victor Ujor’s fermentation lab in the Department of Food Science as I not only wanted an undergraduate research experience, but also work on something that contributes to sustainability. Eventually, as I spent more time in the lab and the department, I realized how applicable and interesting food science is to the real world, since everyone eats! After taking a couple introductory food science classes, I decided to also take on the food science major.
One of the most interesting things I learned in my courses is how we utilize the diverse and complex microbes for food and chemical production. Since joining the Ujor lab, I have sought to expand my knowledge on microbial metabolism and how they can be applied in different sectors and industries. Through classes in food microbiology, microbial metabolomics, precision fermentation and many more, I continue to be fascinated by the way we collaborate with microbes to make delicious fermented foods, food ingredients, biofuels, and even bioplastics.
What student organizations, groups, and other activities were you involved in?
As a Taiwanese international student, I have been involved with the Taiwanese Undergraduate Student Organization for several years now. As part of the board, I was involved in the organization of many different events promoting Taiwanese culture on campus and fostering a Taiwanese community. Since freshman year, I have also been part of the “Badgershop” barbershop quartet club. Even without prior singing experiences, I have learned a lot about the art form of singing in barbershop quartets, and the club has been one of my favorite places to take my mind off academics! Other than these, I am also a member of the Food Science Club where there are several talks from food industry people and social events every semester!
What are your post-graduation plans?
I plan on staying in UW-Madison for my MS in Bacteriology! I will be joining Professor Michael Thomas’s lab and work on non-ribosomal peptide synthetases.
What were the most valuable and/or meaningful experiences you had in CALS?
The most valuable experiences were the ones surrounding undergraduate research. During my time in the Ujor lab, I learned so much not only about microbiology, molecular biology and fermentation laboratory techniques, but also about data analysis, academic writing, and communication. I also established the specific research topics I want to pursue in the future. Beyond the lab, I am also involved with the CALS Honors in Research program, where I got to familiarize myself with what a research career is about and interact with many brilliant undergraduate researchers in CALS. As someone aiming for a career in research, these experiences really set a solid foundation for my other endeavors going forward!
When you think about your time here as a student, what are you proud of?
I am proud of how I have pushed out of my comfort zone. I came to college generally as a shy, private, and quiet person. Despite this, I have had many experiences that challenge these traits and helped me come out the other side a more well-rounded person! One example is becoming an Undergraduate Teaching Fellow for the CALS QuickStart program. In this role, I was responsible for interacting with dozens of incoming first-year students, understanding their needs, providing assignment feedback, and ensuring they’re prepared to start their college journey. Although these are tasks that I was nervous for initially, I learned as I went, and found support and resources to improve my abilities. In the end, I was so much more comfortable with mentoring students.
Do you have any advice you’d like to share with CALS students?
The CALS community is great, take advantage of it! If there’s an opportunity that you would like to pursue, good chance that there’s someone who you can talk to and seek help from. Whether students, faculty, or staff, the people in the college are willing to talk and help you succeed.
What do you like most about being a CALS student?
I like the flexibility I have to explore different disciplines in the college and design a path that best suits my academic and career interests. Me and many friends I know have had the opportunity to take on different majors and certificates within CALS and beyond. The future work many of us will be involved with will be interdisciplinary, and CALS truly allows its students to expand their horizons!
If you had to eat one Babcock ice cream flavor for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Going with Vanilla. So many good flavors but will never get tired of the classic.
What’s your favorite thing about the city of Madison?
My favorite would be the lakes. I love going on walks, runs, or bike rides along the many different trails/paths around the different lakes.