He advanced from Science Olympiad to Diamond Shoals
Senior Victor Hieu Nguyen’s love for science began in middle school and expanded through research at Carolina.
Research isn’t only about data. It’s about communication, empathy and the ability to meet people where they are. At UNC-Chapel Hill, undergraduates gain these skills alongside critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving as they delve into meaningful research across disciplines.
This May, more than 4,000 undergraduates will turn their tassels — each of them having engaged in research through a Research and Discovery course or by working alongside faculty on projects. Whether they are working with patients, analyzing environmental data or experimenting at the frontiers of technology, they learn to ask better questions, embrace uncertainty and imagine new possibilities.
Victor Hieu Nguyen’s love for science began at a competition: Science Olympiad in middle school. He excelled in ecology, oceanography, meteorology and ornithology — earning regional, state and national awards.
During his senior year of high school, he volunteered at Carolina Waterfowl Rescue, cleaning enclosures and feeding ducks and chickens. Witnessing the daily work of caring for animals transformed environmental science from something abstract to something deeply human.
When he arrived at Carolina, Nguyen knew he wanted to study environmental science but wasn’t sure where to focus. Exploring courses across the University led him to a startup company cultivating kelp to capture atmospheric carbon. That blend of innovation, climate action and ocean science unlocked something for him: a path where he could channel both curiosity and impact. He began reaching out to professors doing related research.
Nguyen joined Harvey Seim’s lab, where he analyzed oceanographic data from underwater gliders deployed off Cape Hatteras to understand how the Gulf Stream interacts with coastal waters. That work introduced him to the power of computational tools — a discovery that shaped the rest of his research. A summer internship at Texas A&M deepened his interest in modeling methods to remove carbon dioxide from the ocean and atmosphere.
Today, Nguyen works in Ken Zhao’s lab modeling Diamond Shoals, a shifting sandbar system off Cape Hatteras that shapes local ocean circulation. The work is part science, part puzzle-solving.
“There’s something almost science fiction-like about simulating real-world phenomena, which has always captivated me,” he says.
Oceans are turbulent, chaotic and nonlinear systems. Deciding what to simulate and how to approach it theoretically is essential. Through this project, Nguyen has gained deeper insight into which aspects of a model reflect real physical phenomena and which are merely computational artifacts or potential errors.
As a math and environmental science double-major in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences, Nguyen focuses on determining which model behaviors reflect real physics and which are computational distortions. The goal: build tools that can guide large-scale climate interventions.
“My research centers on finding ways not only to mitigate the harm we cause to the environment but also to improve our ecosystems,” he says. “Those themes have remained constant even as my methods have evolved.”
After graduating, Nguyen will start his doctorate in ocean science and engineering at Georgia Tech to help develop reliable models for ocean-based carbon capture, turning ambitious climate ideas into concrete possibilities.
