Aikun Wang

Emory University

B.S. in Physics & Engineering Science
Minor in Astrophysics

Cumulative GPA: 3.90/4.0

Emory University | Eric Weeks Soft Matter Lab

Undergraduate Researcher | Experimental & Computational Physics

• Designed and fabricated L-shaped, quasi-2D microfluidic chambers to investigate transport and collective dynamics of highly polydisperse silicone oil-in-water emulsions under geometric confinement.
• Developed a Python image-analysis and particle-tracking pipeline integrating Cellpose segmentation, size-aware trajectory linking, spatiotemporal velocity-field estimation, and forecast-assisted retracking; processed approximately 4.5 million droplet-frame observations to reconstruct individual trajectories.
• Quantified size-dependent transport, local area fraction, velocity distributions, and nonaffine dynamics to examine how droplet size and crowding influence collective flow and microscopic rearrangements.
• Observed greater nonaffine motion in smaller droplets and a pronounced change in normalized speed when droplet diameter approaches the chamber height; found that increased local crowding reduces speed differences between droplet sizes.
• Delivered an oral presentation at the 2026 Global Physics Summit in Denver; confirmed to present at the 2027 Global Physics Summit in Atlanta. Regularly share progress in lab meetings and contribute to a manuscript in preparation.

OpenRefinery

STEM Research Program Participant | AI for Science

• Participating in the AI for Science initiative to explore AI applications in real-world STEM research workflows, with a focus on experimental soft condensed matter physics.
• Contributing domain knowledge in microfluidics, microscopy-based particle tracking, and computational data analysis to interdisciplinary efforts connecting scientific research and AI development.

Chinese Virtual Observatory | Popular Supernova Project

Researcher

• Independently analyzed more than 6,000 astronomical images and reported over 50 suspicious objects during a three-year observing period.
• Discovered a previously unknown variable star in NGC 3238; further investigation is ongoing.

Quasi-2D means a little bit 3D: Size-dependent droplet speeds in flowing quasi-2D emulsions

Aikun Wang, Waad Paliwal, and Eric R. Weeks

Global Physics Summit · Confirmed presentation · Forthcoming

Nonaffine motion of highly polydisperse emulsions in a quasi-2D L-shaped chamber

Aikun Wang, Waad Paliwal, and Eric R. Weeks

Global Physics Summit · Oral presentation · Presented

Emory University College Council

Vice President

• Led allocation of a $500,000+ annual student activities budget supporting more than 200 undergraduate organizations. Developed funding strategies across annual Allocated and monthly Supplementary cycles to balance organizational needs, equitable access, and campus engagement.
• Managed an eight-member team responsible for financial reviews, club interviews, and funding recommendations. Structured evaluations around budget audits, quantitative analysis, and interviews to assess operational needs, spending efficiency, and projected campus impact.
• Collaborated with the Finance team on policy refinements and more efficient budget hearings to improve students' access to university resources.

Pocket Aces Trading

Co-founder & Lecturer

• Mentored more than 30 members in algorithm design and backtesting with real-world financial data, emphasizing strategy implementation and risk assessment. Delivered biweekly lectures and organized panels with professionals and professors on careers, market trends, and emerging technologies.
• Developed and tested a machine-learning strategy using CSCO signals to predict ORCL price movements; achieved 63% simulated PnL in backtesting.