A new mother and the first in her family to attend college, Yue Amanda Pan is an international student pursuing her PhD in electrical and computer engineering and a master's degree in mathematics at the University of Iowa. She has worked as a research assistant in the electrical and computer engineering department since the fall of 2014, during which she has supervised and mentored eight undergraduate students, a post-doctoral student, and three graduate students. She is also the first author on two conference papers and co-author on seven additional conference papers.
“Meet different people and see the world differently. You will be a better person.”
Name: Yue Amanda Pan
Field of study: electrical and computer engineering (PhD), mathematics (MS)
Hometown: Beijing, China
What experiences/organizations/programs have you contributed to your international education?
Assistantship, UI Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Ballard and Seashore Dissertation Fellowships
What is the most valuable thing that you have learned through your international education experiences?
As an international student for six years, I think learning the language and culture well is very important. We can learn a lot from native people by talking to them. The diversity of cultures of different countries can cause some misunderstanding between people. Therefore, communication is essential. The environment is also crucial. I have the experience of supervising graduate and undergraduate international students in their research. By talking to them and based on my own experience, we think the University of Iowa provides international students with a very friendly environment. We get an excellent education here, and our life is very comfortable.
If you had one message to pass on your fellow classmates about international education, what would it be?
I think international education is essential. You will learn about different cultures, meet different people, and see the world differently. You will be a better person. I highly recommend students take the chance for international education.