Valerie Hsieh is a PhD candidate in the lab of Cory Dean at Columbia University. Her graduate research focuses on the electronic and optical properties of 2D materials, particularly concerning twisted graphene heterostructures. She is also passionate about teaching and science communication, particularly concerning topics of difficult knowledge in STEM disciplines. Outside of academia, she is an avid language learner and plays competitive ultimate frisbee. She holds a degree in physics and German from the University of California, Berkeley.