Charles Sun

Austin, TX 78733 · (512) 636-5026 · suncharles01@gmail.com

I am an aspiring Senior at Westlake High School with interests in chemistry, computer science, and economics. In my free time, I enjoy playing basketball, traveling the world, and listening to music.



Experience

Honors Summer Math Camp

Student Researcher
  • Investigated urban-rural disparities in COVID-19 mortality and incidence rate using optimized multiple linear regression models in R
  • Invited to present our project at the University of Texas at Austin COVID-19 Modeling Consortium
  • Coauthored paper “A Multiple Linear Regression Analysis of Rural-Urban COVID-19 Risk Disparities in Texas”
  • Submitted to the Journal of Community Health
  • Click here for paper
Student Researcher
  • Implemented variations of the Shannon-Fano-Elias algorithm to reduce the average code length and improve the encryption resilience using Java
First Year
  • Took college-level courses on number theory, analysis, and abstract algebra at HSMC
June 2020 - January 2021

National Graphene Research and Development Center

Primary Researcher
  • Performed simulations through Abinit software based on the Density Functional Theory
  • Utilized XCrySDen to visualize crystalline and molecular structures, Grace to plot band structures and density of states graphs, and Gnuplot to refine the aforementioned graphs for publication
  • Discovered diverse electronic properties and enhanced magnetism by tuning VI3 for next-generation nanoscale semiconductor applications
  • First author of “Tuning the Magnetic and Electronic Properties of Monolayer VI3 by 3d Transition Metal Doping: A First-Principles Study”
  • Published in the Applied Surface Science journal
  • Click here for paper
May 2020 - January 2021

Westlake Student Council

Student Body Vice President
  • Elected by 2100+ students
  • Oversaw homecoming planning and ticket selling (profited $15k)
  • Maintain Westlake Student Council Website
  • Give updates at district board meetings
Class Vice President
  • Elected by 700+ students
  • Orchestrated a concert to 50+ senior citizens at Brookdale retirement home with the school Jazz Band and played Christmas music
  • Raised $500 during the pandemic for Trianon Coffee, a local small business
  • Built a school garden with three members as a safe space for students to recalibrate
  • Welcomed all students and staff to the Veteran’s Day Assembly
  • Planned Pep Rally activities for home football games
  • Organized “Snacks for Finals” to give students free snacks
  • Created “Treats for Teachers” to appreciate teachers and staff during finals week
October 2018 - present

Mu Alpha Theta (Math Honors Society)

President
  • Elected by 400+ students
  • Hosted two guest speakers from UT Austin and Texas State with topics on epidemiology and voting logic
  • Planned and led monthly meetings with fun and engaging math games for members
  • Ordered and delivered prizes door-to-door
Secretary
  • Elected by 400+ students
  • Implemented a new attendance system that was more efficient with a large membership
  • Coordinated two field trips to an Amazon fulfillment center and Six Flags for educational and recreational purposes
September 2018 - present

Latin Club (Latin Honors Society)

Co-president
  • Elected by 100+ students
  • Create agendas and run weekly meetings
  • Promote Latin with the middle schools
Treasurer
  • Elected by 100+ students
  • Initiated a Latin Club Scholarship to help members cover the cost of conventions and college supplies
  • Served as one of the essay reading committee members
  • Spearheaded a t-shirt competition and designed a socially distanced distribution process
PR Officer
  • Elected by 30+ students
  • Promoted Latin events such as parties and competition
September 2018 - present

First Tech Challenge Robotics

Team Captain for 5628 The Tau Manifesto
  • Promoted STEM through various outreach projects at Nvidia’s “Bring your Kid to Work” day, Eanes ISD Elementary School’s Science Days, underprivileged schools, and TedxYouth@Austin
  • Managed daily logs to document team’s work across all areas (design, programming, manufacturing, marketing, and outreach)
  • Fundraised $5000 for Westlake Robotics at school’s football games to help pay for robot parts
  • Programmed robot vision to detect images on the playing field
  • Experimented with IMU capabilities for autonomous movement
  • Manufactured parts for team’s robot using machines and tools from the school shop
Programming Lead
  • Winning Alliance Captain at the Austin Metro League Championship
  • Mentored an FLL robotic team that advanced to Regionals for the first time
  • Programmed team’s hardware and autonomous movements
  • Volunteered at a variety of events including Eanes ISD Elementary School’s Science Days and under-resourced schools
September 2018 - present

Skills

Programming Languages & Tools
  • Operating Systems: Linux, macOS, iOS, Android
  • Languages: Java, Python, HTML, CSS, R, MATLAB, LabVIEW, Swift, Mathematica
  • Other: Abinit, LaTeX, Solidworks, Gnuplot, Google Suite
Languages
  • Chinese (verbal fluency)
  • Latin

Interests

I enjoy most of my time being outdoors, gardening, biking, traveling, and playing basketball. I am an avid Spurs fan and a novice poker player.

I follow a number of news publications including NPR, The Hill, TIME, and National Geographic.

Awards & Certifications

  • Coolidge Senator
  • US National Chemistry Olympiad Exam Qualifier
  • 2 time President's Volunteer Service Award: Gold and Silver Medalist
  • AIME Qualifier with Distinguished Honor roll
  • National Latin Exam maxima cum laude - Silver Medalist
  • First Prize for “Grand Prize Virtuoso” International Music Competition and was invited to perform at the Royal Albert Hall
  • 3 rd Place - Mottoes - National Junior Classical League 2021
  • Paderewski Gold Medalist
  • 3 rd Place - Mottoes - Texas State Junior Classical League 2021
  • 4 th Place - Vocabulary - Texas State Junior Classical League 2021
  • Austin Metro League Champion 2019