The Meander

Who's Who of the PhD Comics Movie

by Meg Rosenburg

Meet the cast and crew who made it happen, right here at Caltech!

How did this happen?
PHD Comics creator Jorge Cham had been thinking of developing his wildly successful webcomic about grad school into a live-action version for several years when he came across TACIT—Theater Arts at CIT. A resident of Pasadena and former instructor at Caltech, he introduced himself to students and faculty here and proposed an ambitious joint venture: a movie filmed on campus and starring real-life Ph. D. students, bringing his comics to life! Nearly one year and a lot of work later, the film has arrived! It is scheduled to screen at over 100 universities across the country and worldwide, with a big premiere that hit Caltech on 9/22. So who are these people? Here’s a little introduction to the cast and crew of The PHD Movie.

	Jorge Cham (Creator/ Writer): Jorge Cham began drawing PHD Comics while pursuing his doctorate degree in Engineering at Stanford University, specializing in Robotics. His research at Stanford focused on dynamic legged "biomimetic" robots that incorporate novel manufacturing technologies and design lessons from biology. He also spent time at Caltech developing work on Neural Prosthetics. Since 1997 when he first created PHD Comics, Dr. Cham has published four books and travels extensively giving lectures at conferences and universities about the power of procrastination and “life (or the lack thereof) in academia”. “PHD Comics: The Movie” is Dr. Cham’s first screenplay. Photo credit: Ben Deverman
Meg Rosenburg (Producer): Meg is a grad student in Planetary Science studying lunar topography and surface processes. She has produced, stage managed, and acted in numerous productions at Caltech and as an undergrad at MIT, where she earned her Bachelor's degrees in Physics and Planetary Science. An ardent supporter of theater and science, she always does what she can to bring them together. All her hard work is made possible by the support of her husband, Jon, and her dog, Simon. She also plays a very small and very annoying role in the movie. Photo credit: Lucie Adalid
	Vahe Gabuchian (Director): Vahe began filmmaking as a hobby during his undergraduate career at the University of California, Irvine, where he studied Chemistry along with Mechanical, Aeronautical, and Chemical Engineering. After several shorts, and some controlled insanity, Vahe began to take on larger film projects such as GRAMMAR CLASS, BALROG: BEHIND THE GLORY and a feature film called THE PARTY IS OVER. Besides movie production, Vahe also loves action movies, hot Asian soup, and his favorite pair of red basketball shorts, stolen from a friend from high school, that he often wears on set. Actually, he wears them everywhere. He is now a graduate student in Aeronautics at Caltech experimentally investigating dynamic mode II ruptures along frictional interfaces using laser vibrometry and opto-mechanical diagnostics. Photo credit: Vahe Gabuchian
Raj Katti (Nameless Grad Student (NGS)): Raj is a Caltech undergraduate sophomore physics major and lives in Ruddock House. A member of this year's Physics 11 research class, he performs research in Prof. Christof Koch's lab on a project concerning ephaptic coupling by low-frequency electric fields in the human brain. He has played the lead roles of Constantine in the TACIT production of Big Love and Aramis in the TACIT production of The Three Musketeers, is currently a student at Carter Thor Studios on a scholarship from Caltech's Don Shepard Essay Contest and will soon complete his first short film which he acted in, wrote, and directed. The character: NGS represents the every-grad. Talented, smart, but not 100% sure why he came to grad school, he struggles with impostor syndrome and is haunted by the question “am I good enough?” As long as his name remains a secret, he evokes the anonymity felt by many grad students finding their way through academia. Quote: “Why am I doing this?!” Photo credit: Lucie Adalid
	Alexandra Lockwood (Cecilia): Alex is a Ph.D. candidate in Planetary Sciences and she earned her undergraduate degrees in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Maryland. With the support of an NSF graduate fellowship (and a wonderful advisor), she studies molecular excitation in protoplanetary disks in order to characterize planet-forming regions around young stars. In her spare time, Alex is an RA at Ruddock House, one of two Social Chairs for the Caltech Graduate Student Council and appeared in a 2010 production of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change! by the Extracurricular Players at CIT (EXPLiCIT). The character: The perfect grad student, Cecilia is responsible and hard-working. She does everything the correct way and enjoys school and her research. Cecilia likes school so much that she hasn’t given much thought to what will happen when she graduates. She is an incurable chocoholic, a closet ballroom dancer, and a geek. Quote: “That’s why I came to grad school, to make a difference, to challenge young minds and inspire them.” Photo credit: Lucie Adalid
Evans Boney (Mike Slackenerny): Evans (MIT '06 Chemistry, Physics) is a Caltech graduate student in Chemistry Theory, studying surface vibrational chemistry with Nobelist Rudy Marcus. In his spare time, he has also acted in and produced Penn and Teller Tell A Lie for the Discovery Channel and has written a feature film about Caltech basketball that is in development. Evans is pursuing a postdoctoral career in show business (writing, production and acting) as well as scientific research. The character: Mike is the eternal slacker. He’s that guy that everyone has in their departments: the one that’ s been there longer than anyone (even the administrative assistants) can remember. A career graduate student, he is the master of looking busy to his professors even if he is not, and of scoring free food around campus. Quote: “Do you feel more science-y now?” Photo credit: Lucie Adalid
	Crystal Dilworth (Tajel): Crystal is a Ph.D. candidate in Chemistry using fluorescence microscopy to probe the molecular basis of nicotine addiction and Parkinson’s disease. In 2010 she was the award recipient of an individual NRSA fellowship from the National Institute of Drug Addiction. Crystal has been an avid reader of PHD Comics since 2005 when she was doing research at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA while getting her B.S. degree in Biochemistry at UCSD. Before coming to Caltech, Crystal was a professional dancer and choreographer, and a nationally ranked rhythmic gymnast. She received her dance training at the prestigious Ailey School in Manhattan, NY. The character: The only Social Science grad student of the bunch, Tajel is constantly finding causes for which to rally protests. She is a perennial student activist with an undefined interdisciplinary major in the humanities/social sciences/engineering that seems to change every time you ask her. She represents what many grad students face: apprehension about choosing a path that will lock in your future. Quote: “Grad school is as much about finding truth in research as it is about finding truth in yourself.” Photo credit: Lucie Adalid
K. Zachary Abbott (Prof. Smith): A self-described "digital plumber," Zachary helps keep the bits flowing as part of Caltech's IT staff. Zachary has enjoyed acting as a hobby since he was a kid, and has appeared in several stage productions for TACIT, including portraying Polixenes in Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale and Werner von Braun in the world premier of Pasadena Babalon: The World of Jack Parsons. A liberal arts major as an undergrad, he holds a graduate degree in theology. The character: Professor Smith is every grad student’s worst nightmare, made up of little pieces of reality all packed together into one truly frightening personality. Quote: “Now get back to the lab!” Photo credit: Lucie Adalid
	Miranda Stewart (Allison): Miranda is a former Caltech undergraduate and recent graduate of Occidental College with a degree in theater. Recently, she directed two plays at Caltech, including Metamorphoses, which required serious undergrad wrangling to get them to build a pool for the stage. Currently, she is preparing the role of Lilith for a staged reading of The Love Song of J. Robert Oppenheimer. Combining her interests in science and acting, she works as a "mad scientist" teaching fun science programs to children. In her spare time, she likes to read, knit, and model. The character: Allison is the responsible one in Professor Smith’s lab. The lab motto is: “Why do something today, when you can get Allison to do it for you tomorrow?” Cool, collected, and always willing to dish out some perspective, she anchors the group while hoping to someday graduate herself. Quote: “Working hard, or hardly working?” Photo credit: Lucie Adalid
Xiaodi Hou (David): Xiaodi is a Ph.D. candidate in the Computation and Neural System (CNS) department. As a scientific researcher, his goal is to understand the human visual system and create a machine that could see better. When free from upcoming conference deadlines, he participates in TACIT (Theater Arts @ CIT), and has played the Chinese rocket scientist Tsien Hsue-shen, in Pasadena Babalon. He likes his role David in PhD Movie—for a PhD student, it's always good to feel young again. The character: David is the quintessential nice guy—enthusiastic, honest, good at listening. He’s the perfect match for Cecilia, except for one thing…he’s an undergrad! Quote: “Looks like you need some help.” Photo credit: Lucie Adalid

The Meander / Events

Who's Who of the PhD Comics Movie

by Meg Rosenburg