STEM Rising Stars: Sophia Yuxin Zhang & Dalia Habib

Sophia Zhang and Dalia Habib want to make the world a better place and they are already being recognized for their work. On this episode they discuss their Thermo Fisher JIC, a program of Society for Science, projects that tackle water conservation and biofuels. 

Sophia Yuxin Zhang is a competitive chess player and has been listed in the top 100 Women and Girls Player lists by the US Chess Federation. She’s also a competitive swimmer. “I love the feeling of challenging myself by pursuing my best time and the sense of belonging when competing for my team and cheering for or being cheered for by my teammates,” she says. She was selected as a Kid Reporter for Time for Kids in 2023 and wants to be an aeronautical engineer.

Dalia Habib loves to dance, especially hip hop and jazz. “I find delight in learning numerous choreographies and practicing them in my room, often dedicating hours to practice dance,” she says. Dalia also loves languages and is trying to become fluent in both Arabic and Japanese. She recently took up pottery and finds it both relaxing and challenging. Dalia would like to become an environmental engineer. “I aspire to… enhanc[e] human well-being on a global scale,” she says.