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Vivian Liu.

Hi, I'm Vivian Liu, a science researcher, origami enthusiast, and educational equity advocate working on creative solutions to food, water, energy, and sustainability challenges.

vivian yipinstitute dot org

as seen on

where I've worked

Experience

Simons Research Fellow

Stony Brook University · Internship

Apr 2026 - Present · 3 mos · Stony Brook, New York, United States · On-site

Project: Kinetics Studies of Urease-Catalyzed Urea Hydrolysis in Cellulose Nanofiber Hydrosponges.
Conducting research in Dr. Benjamin Hsiao's lab with Ph.D. candidate Eniola Arogunyo.
One of ~50 high school students conducting independent research through the Simons Summer Research Program (1.7% acceptance rate) on-site from June 29th to August 7th.

Co-Founder

Origami For Good · Self-employed

Jan 2024 - Present · 2 yrs 6 mos

501(c)(3) nonprofit promoting mental wellness, sustainability, and cultural appreciation through origami.
Grew to 300+ chapters, 7,000+ volunteers, and 40,000+ followers, distributing 820,000+ origami pieces globally. Partnered with Krispy Kreme, Panda Express, and more.
Featured in Houston Chronicle, Scholastic Magazine, KHOU11, FOX26, Points of Light, iHeartRadio, and more. PVSA-certified, awarding thousands of service hours.

Instagram

Institute for Youth in Policy

Remote

Vice President & Co-Director of Education Curriculum · Part-time

Jun 2026 - Present · 1 mo

Co-directed development of YIP's student-written civics curriculum and discourse-based workshops, building teacher resources piloted in classrooms across 7 states.

Public Policy Fellow · Internship

Apr 2026 - Jun 2026 · 3 mos

Selected as 1 of ~70 fellows (6-8% acceptance) to the YIP Spring Fellowship.
Read my published policy brief on Texas water colonias: "Science for Whom? Water, Colonias, and the Research Gap in Texas".

My YIP profile

Co-Founder & Lead Developer

Future Female Scholars · Self-employed

Oct 2024 - Present · 1 yr 9 mos

Designed and built our website alongside Claire Wang to connect teen tutors with students from underserved communities for free STEM tutoring.
1,700+ registered tutors globally and 140K+ followers on Instagram (@future.female.scholars).
Interviewed creators like Sloane Alex (2M+), Olivia Zhang (Forbes 30 Under 30, Diana Award recipient, L'Oréal Women of Worth), and Neel Shanmugam (Cluley, $120M+ co-founder).

UN Youth Delegate

UN Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY) · IOY · United Youth Council

Jan 2026 - Present · 7 mos · New York, New York, United States

UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) 2026: youth delegate, UN Headquarters, NYC.
UN Water Conference Academic Hub with SIWI.
Rural Drinking Water Safety & SDG 6 with UN-Water.
Agrifood Systems dialogue with FAO.
Youth2030 & the Pact in Action with the UN Youth Office.
Transformative Education with MGCY.
One World, One Game, One Goal in the General Assembly Hall.

YPS Forum

Mechanical Engineering Researcher

University of North Texas · Internship

May 2025 - May 2026 · 1 yr 1 mo · Denton, Texas, United States · On-site

Developing low-cost Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) technologies for the detection of waterborne toxins alongside Ph.D. researchers under PI Dr. Taeyul Choi.
Recipient of a $4,000 merit-based scholarship. Qualified for the 2026 AJAS (American Junior Academy of Science) and an Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) Grand and Special Award Winner.

ISEF Project: DiscSPR

UNT STEM Research Society

President

May 2026 - Present

Lead premier research-governance organization for UNT College of Engineering (7,000 students) and College of Science (3,660 students) to help undergrad/grad find research opportunities.
Elected President by UNT previous executives and Dr. Calvin A. Henard in May, 2026.

Member

2025 - May 2026

TAMS Research Organization (RO)

Advised TAMS-affiliated organization

Co-Competitions Director

May 2026 - Present

Prep the org for every research competition: TJAS, TJSHS, ISEF, and more.
Run the ASPIRE initiative, building 1-on-1 research mentorships in underserved Denton ISD schools.

Junior Coordinator

Nov 2025 - May 2026

Ran "TAMS Fair," a mock-presentation event with 25+ UNT projects to rehearse for FWRSEF, TXSEF, and ISEF.
Created promo videos, 200+ flyers, and sold valograms to fund it.

Instagram

Head of Content Strategy

The Perception Foundation · Part-time

May 2026 - Jul 2026 · 3 mos · Remote

Work with founders, Maya and Lara Hammoud.
Grew @the_perception_foundation from 800 to 2,000+ followers on Instagram.

SWENext Influencer

Society of Women Engineers · Part-time

Aug 2025 - Jul 2026 · 1 yr · Remote

Worked under Markita Riley.
Created fun, engaging videos and Zoom lessons to inspire and support the next generation of girls in engineering.
Completed the FY26 SWENext Influencer Program (July 2026).

Fluids and Geomechanics Intern

Premier Corex · Internship

Jun 2024 - Jul 2024 · 2 mos · Houston, Texas, United States · On-site

Paid Fluids Intern under Dr. Maggie Benge.
Contributed to geomechanics and fluid analysis projects, gaining hands-on experience in laboratory techniques and data interpretation.

where I've studied

Education

Y Combinator

Jul 2026

Selected for Y Combinator's Startup School 2026 at the Chase Center in San Francisco (July 25-26).
Learning from founders and researchers like Sam Altman, Jensen Huang, and Patrick Collison, with $25,000+ in startup compute credits.

Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science

May 2025 - May 2027 · Grade: 11-12 · GPA: 4.0

Activities and societies: TAMS Research Organization (RO)
Undergraduate Research Fellow (URF) in the Mechanical Engineering and Energy Sciences track.
2× UNT President's List (Fall 2025 & Spring 2026).

James E. Taylor High School

2023 - 2025 · Grade: 9-10 · GPA: 4.8182 · Rank: 2/879

Activities and societies: Student Council (2x elected Class Executive, 1 of 5 from 879 students), GEMS Club (Executive Officer), Asian Students Association (Executive Officer), Orchestra (3x UIL Solo & Ensemble Gold Medals; Grade 1 Superior rating)

honors and awards

Recognition

Science & Research

ISEF 3rd Grand Award, Engineering Technology: Statics & Dynamics

Society for Science

ISEF Special Award, Shanghai Science Association for Young Talents

Society for Science

American Junior Academy of Science (AJAS) Fellow

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

1st Place in Engineering II

"Best of Fair" and 1st Place Engineering, Senior Division

Fort Worth Regional Science and Engineering Fair (FWRSEF)

1st Place - Water Environment Association of Texas Award

Fort Worth Regional Science and Engineering Fair (FWRSEF)

1st Place - Stockholm Junior Water Prize Award (Region)

Fort Worth Regional Science and Engineering Fair (FWRSEF)

Stockholm Junior Water Prize, 3rd Place (Texas State)

Water Environment Association of Texas · 2026

1st Place - Office of Naval Research (U.S. Navy & Marine Corps) Award

Fort Worth Regional Science and Engineering Fair (FWRSEF)

1st Place - Lockheed Martin Leadership Association Award

Fort Worth Regional Science and Engineering Fair (FWRSEF)

Undergraduate Research Fellow (URF)

UNT Honors College

Presented at AAAS Annual Meeting, UNT MIRS Conference "Best Poster," UNT Data Science Day, UNT Scholars Day, UNT Research Day, etc.

Early Summer Research (ESR) Scholarship

UNT Honors College

$4,000 stipend and fully-funded scholarship; full-time MechE research (~40 hrs/week).

Social Impact & Leadership

Princeton Prize in Race Relations ($2,500)

Princeton University

Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes ($10,000)

Young Heroes Project

Three Dot Dash Global Teen Leader

We Are Family Foundation

George H.W. Bush Points of Light Honoree

Points of Light

Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) Student Hero

Texas Education Agency

TEDxThirdWard Speaker

TED Talks

1 of 10 TEDx Speakers Selected From 786 Applicants in Houston's Third Ward

Senior Fellow

Institute for Youth in Policy

Named one of two Senior Fellows in a cohort of ~60 with a 6-8% acceptance rate

Canon Young Champion Finalist (Ongoing)

Global Good Awards

Awesome Foundation Grant ($1,000)

Conservation and Climate chapter of the Awesome Foundation

YouthMADE Festival Amplify Grant ($500)

Digital Promise

Texas State Champion (1st Place), National Leadership Conference Qualifier

Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)

2× 9/11 “We Serve to Remember” Grant ($1,000)

Youth Service America (YSA)

Just for Fun

"Most Wonderful Girl" Award

James E. Taylor High School

Chosen by Assistant Principal Sandra Lacks, and awarded to one girl out of the 879 students in the class of 2027.

Neon Owl & Neon Turtle Owner

Roblox Adopt Me!

Traded up to Neon Owl (~800 RP) and Neon Turtle (~51.5 RP) in Adopt Me, retired-egg legendaries from 2019 versus ~1 RP for an average pet.

credentials

Certifications

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)

CITI Program · Issued Sep 2025 · Expires Sep 2029 · Credential ID 69863908 · Show credential

CITI Program completion certificate for Responsible Conduct of Research (TAMS/Honors Basic RCR, Stage 1), completed September 2025 under requirements set by the University of North Texas. Covers research ethics, scientific integrity, and responsible research practices.

Basic Introduction to Biosafety

CITI Program · Issued Jun 2026 · Expires Jul 2027 · Credential ID 69863909 · Show credential

CITI Program completion certificate for Basic Introduction to Biosafety (Biosafety/Biosecurity, Stage 1), completed June 2026 under requirements set by the University of North Texas. Covers core biosafety practices and biohazard handling. Skills: Laboratory Safety, Research Ethics.

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