Zhi (Jackie) Yao, a research scientist in the Lab’s Applied Mathematics and Computational Research Division, found her path to the Lab through a series of serendipitous occurrences that started when she won her first fellowship while in sixth grade in her native China. The prize money, equivalent to about $200, was used to treat her teachers to a thank-you dinner. Other fellowships followed, including the Luis W. Alvarez Fellowship in Computing Sciences in 2019, which brought her to the Lab. She also received the Director’s Award last year as an Early Career Researcher in 2023. 

“I remember my first day on the hill,” said Jackie. “It was Nov. 11, and when I got to the hill, I realized it was a bit colder here than it was in the city of Berkeley, where I lived, so I was going to need a jacket. I was also surprised at the wildlife I saw as I walked around the site.”

Jackie has recently returned from maternity leave and is the proud mom of a four-month-old. 

Q: How did you decide on your current career path, and to what extent has Berkeley Lab supported you along your journey?

A: It wasn’t a conscious decision in the beginning. In China, students are tracked into areas of study at an early age, and by sixth grade, I was doing my best work in math and science. I didn’t intentionally choose this path; it happened because I was good at it. I’m happy, though, with the way my career path has turned out. 

My bachelor’s degree in photonic engineering is from China. I came to the U.S. to study and received my Master’s and Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from UCLA. 

The Lab had a major impact on my career path when I received the Alvarez Fellowship in 2019. That made a big difference in my career because I was an independent postdoctoral researcher and able to design my own research project. 

Q: Who was your most influential mentor – formal or informal – and how did they shape your career path?

A: There have been a few people who have played significant roles in my career, including my Ph.D. advisor, Dr. Yuanxun Wang, my postdoc co-advisor at UCLA, Dr. Tatsuo Itoh, and my supervisors at the Lab, Dr. Ann Almgren and Dr. Andy Nonaka, and my senior collaborators, such as Dr. Lavanya Ramakrishnan. There is one person, however, whom I would like to emphasize. He wasn’t an official mentor, but I would say Ramamoorthy Ramesh filled that role and influenced me the most. He was the lead PI on a Department of Energy project where I served as a co-PI. Our work together started when I was in my fellowship year. I watched and learned from him as he shaped the proposal. He was always appreciative of the diversity of expertise on the team. He opened my eyes to how important it was to value the different expertise people bring to the problem, to respect their input, and to listen. The other thing he did was speak positively about me to others.  That helped me build my network, and he provided opportunities to get involved. He understands the challenges of being a young scholar. 

All my collaborations at the Lab have been amazing. 

Q: What career setback or mistake has helped you to succeed or grow?

A: I’ve made many mistakes, most of which I don’t want to dwell on. What impacted me the most was not making a timely decision in my graduate studies to either stay in research or follow an industry path. It was a difficult question.

I spent the first few years focusing on my research without seriously considering my future career path. I was told my topic of interest was too mature to stay in research. However, I didn’t decide on industry or research until the end of my program. I should have made that decision earlier because it would have influenced my Ph.D. program and put me in a better position in terms of readiness for my career development. 

Q: What is the most important piece of career advice you have received or learned? 

A: I heard it from another person at the Lab, Sinéad Griffin. She told me there’s urgent work and non-urgent work, and you only have 24 hours in a day. You cannot do everything people ask, and you have to not be afraid of disappointing your colleagues. You cannot make everyone happy. So you should focus on work that you are truly interested in.