delighted to meet you! I’m aruna.
I study how molecules behave at surfaces using spectroscopic techniques.
I’m a PhD candidate in Chemistry at the University of Victoria.
My research focuses on developing new ways to study molecular environments at interfaces using nonlinear optical techniques — particularly vibrational sum-frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy.
Currently, I’m working on spectroscopic analysis methods that are independent of the orientation of interfacial molecules.
To put it another way, I’m trying to make it easier to see how molecules are behaving at surfaces without relying on assumptions about how they’re aligned.
These kinds of techniques open up new possibilities for analyzing and extracting molecular information from interfaces with high degree of accuracy.
And they open the door to a wide range of applications in areas like environmental science, medicine, biochemistry, and materials science.
when I’m not working
I like to stay just as curious outside the lab. Here’s what I work on to keep that curiosity alive:
Blogging
I write about things that catch my attention in everyday life—ranging from history and economics to philosophy, paleontology, and everything in between.
Photography
My camera comes with me almost everywhere. I focus on street and documentary photography.
