As I continue on my journey to finding myself (the cliché goal of almost every college student), I continuously come to the struggle of finding where I want to guide my life. Simply, do I want to focus on excelling in my academics so that I can become a professor eventually and research in the university that I work at, or would I like to develop the parts of myself I have always wanted to (ones that directly benefit the happiness we all crave even though it presents itself as ephemeral), but claimed I never had the time: my guitar skills, my composing skills, my writing skills, my friendship skills (truth be told, I am a terrible friend and that is a quality of mine that torments me), and my family skills?
As this thought tormented me, a new-found friend informed me of a man who clearly found the answer to this question – just do both.
Now, while this solution seemed to be a little over-ambitious, it is clear that this man, Dr. Steven J. Schiff, has been able to execute his intentions with sheer perfection – or as close as one could come to this desirable state of being.
Steven J. Schiff is the Director for the Penn State Center for Neural Engineering, the Brush Chair Professor of Engineering, a Professor of Neurosurgery, a Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics, and a Professor of Physics. He has acquired an MD and a PhD, incredible. Currently conducting research in the Millennium Science Complex, Schiff shows no signs of slowing down in his path of discovery. His most recent paper, “Observability and Controllability of Nonlinear Networks: The Role of Symmetry,” explored control theory – a common theme in Schiff’s work. In this paper, Schiff focused on the two important parameters of control theory (observability and controllability) and ultimately begins to alter a “major underlying tenet of modern control theory” (1) These concepts can be more described in more detail here in a popular summary of the paper.
While Schiff’s accomplishments that I have mentioned thus far should be enough for one man, the success does not end there. Schiff is also an incredible violinist and he often plays chamber and orchestral music with his wife in the Nittany Valley Symphony (2).
Where Dr. Steven J. Schiff has landed in life is exactly where I want to be, and his success has reassured me that, with much effort and determination, I can do all that I want to and also be successful.
With hard work, anyone can.
Just a Little Bit of Everything 