Richard Chi '29, Electrical Engineering

When Posse Scholar Richard Chi '29 arrived at Bucknell from Los Angeles, he faced the challenge of finding his place in a new environment that was so far from home. Like many first-year students, he wondered how — and where — he would find his place.

That sense of belonging began to take shape even before classes began when Chi joined the College of Engineering's EXCELerator Program.

EXCELerator enables a select group of incoming engineering students to gain a head start on their college experience by working in a lab alongside faculty mentors and current students.

"Being part of that program helped me integrate into the College of Engineering," he says. "I became oriented to campus, made friends and felt connected before the semester even began."

As a first-year student, he also became involved with the Engineering Success Alliance, which helped him understand the rhythm of student life and prepare for the academic challenges ahead.

Chi says majoring in engineering was always his plan. "Ever since I was little, I've loved building things," he says. "I started with LEGO sets and robotics kits, then moved on to Arduinos in high school — building my own small robotic car. Those projects drew me to electrical engineering."

He chose to specialize in electrical engineering because he's interested in semiconductor creation — building the tiny components that power everything from computers to cars.

At Bucknell, Chi spends a lot of time in the Maker-E, one of Bucknell's three makerspaces. What began as a place to tinker and learn how to use new tools quickly became central to his Bucknell experience. Now, as a student technician, he helps others explore their own ideas. "Maker-E has been a great way to meet people, work on projects and really feel part of the engineering community," he says.

As a student technician in Bucknell's Maker-E, electrical engineering major Richard Chi '29 helps fellow students work on projects. Photo by Emily Paine, Marketing & Communications

That spirit of collaboration — of people coming together to build something — also connects to another of Chi's passions from home.

In Los Angeles, he had been part of a Lion Dance Team, a traditional Chinese performance that combines dance, martial arts and music. Performers work in pairs — one controls the lion's head, the other controls the body — to bring the lion to life with rhythmic, acrobatic movements accompanied by drums, cymbals and gongs.

"Lion dancing has always been a way to relieve stress, stay active and connect with my culture," Chi says. "After enrolling in Bucknell, I was looking at the list of clubs, and when I realized that there wasn't a Lion Dance Team, I started thinking about how that was something I could start.

"It's about more than dancing. It's a way to build teamwork and leadership. Everyone on the team has a role as a coach, so we're all helping each other grow."

Chi's initiative has already connected him with cultural clubs across campus and fellow students interested in exploring Asian traditions. He's navigating the logistics of funding, recruitment and preparing for the team's first performance in the spring semester.

For Chi, engineering and lion dancing share the same spirit — both are about creativity, precision and working together to bring ideas to life. As he builds his Bucknell experience piece by piece, he's creating something uniquely his own.