Allison Christy, an adjunct instructor and graduate of the Materials Science and Engineering Ph.D. program at Boise State University, recently found herself in the spotlight. She was featured in the popular YouTube video, “Why Super Glue is Perfect for Gluing Skin,” which has garnered over 7 million views and widespread acclaim.
Christy’s journey began far from the realm of viral videos. She graduated with degrees in political science and chemistry from Northwest Nazarene University in 2016. During her undergraduate studies, she developed a passion for materials science, conducting research on zinc oxide nanoparticles with Jerry Harris and exploring nanostructured lithography techniques with the Idaho Space Grant Consortium. This early research experience ignited her interest in the field, leading her to an internship at NASA Glenn Research Center, where she synthesized and characterized gallium arsenide nanowires.
Since graduating from Boise State in 2023, she has returned to the NASA Glenn Research Center where she currently works with polymeric aerospace materials and composites. Christy also teaches the online Materials Science and Engineering 101 course with Amy Moll since Fall 2023, and helps as a grader for the in-person course.
Christy completed her Ph.D. work in the Macromolecular Sciences Group, where she developed a new class of closed-loop recyclable plastics from super glue. Her dissertation research made her the ideal scientist to share her insights and provide expert explanations for the video.
Watch the video on YouTube.
Q & A with Allison Christy
Question: How did you get involved in the video?
Allison Christy: “Sulli Yost, a writer from Veritasium actually reached out to me on LinkedIn. She had seen an article from FastCompany that highlighted the work regarding our super glue plastic that we published in 2023.”
Q: Can you describe your specific contributions to the video? Did you have the opportunity to participate in any of the experiments showcased?
AC: “I provided Sulli with a lot of technical information regarding the chemistry and properties of super glue. In my own research, I found that it was somewhat difficult to find answers to a lot of the questions she had, so I provided her with the first couple chapters of my dissertation which went into the history and basics of super glue and cyanoacrylates. Over the course of a couple of months, she would regularly send me questions and ask me to fact-check for her. I was interviewed officially to appear on the video and gave a final check of the video before it was released. I didn’t perform any of the experiments personally, but I did write an SOP for them to remake the plastic we developed in our paper.”
Q: Why are you super glue’s biggest fan?
AC: “Because its chemistry is so cool and versatile. Even in my own research, there were so many times when I would run a reaction or conduct an experiment and the outcome was completely surprising and somewhat unexpected. Super glue has really only been explored as an adhesive, but I really believe that there is enormous potential in super glue materials.”
Q: What were the challenges of working on this?
AC: “The hardest part for me was being the “expert” on most of the technical topics, and finding a way to clearly communicate them with a non-technical audience. I think it’s so cool how wide of a reach Veritasium has, so it was important to me to make sure I could make it as understandable to a general audience as possible.”
Q: What did you learn from the experience?
AC: “I was really impressed with how much research Sulli and Veritasium did on the topic. The way they phrased questions and the details they focused on helped me to understand what sort of things were important to their viewers. Being able to communicate science with a broad audience is such an important skill, and I will keep their approach in mind whenever I present or discuss my work in the future.”
Q: Would you make more videos using your materials science and engineering knowledge?
AC: “I think I’d like to! It was super cool to have so many people engage with me about a topic I love, and if I can get more people interested in materials science then I would love to do more of that.”
Q: What drew you to the Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering program?
AC: “When I started, I felt that [and I still think] that materials science is the field required to make future technologies a reality. The internship where I fell in love with the field really showed that future space exploration depended on materials development, but since then it’s become obvious to me that a lot of the technologies we use today are only limited by the physical materials they use. It’s our job as materials scientists to develop the technologies and make the discoveries to push the boundaries of science, and it’s so cool to be a part of that.”
Q: What are your favorite aspects of the program?
AC: “The program is awesome because there are so many different topics being explored, and so many people that are willing to discuss your work with you. When I was a student, all of the professors and other students were so approachable and willing to discuss their research that I think it gave me a really broad perspective of the field and I learned a lot. Boise State MSMSE does a really great job of presenting a diverse perspective of what materials science is, and I think it made me a better scientist.”
Q: What are your future goals in the field of materials science and engineering?
AC: “I hope I can continue my research with materials development, and I hope I can find more ways to present materials science to a broader audience. I really care about sustainability, and I have been lucky enough to be in a field where the future of space exploration is dependent on developing sustainable materials solutions. I feel so lucky to be doing what I love, and just hope I can continue doing this in the future.”
Q: How has the program helped you prepare for your career?
AC: “The program set me up with the technical and communication skills I needed to be where I am today. I also am so thankful for the mentorship I received from Amy Moll and Jessica Economy…the people and connections in the program are as helpful as the technical knowledge I got. It really is an awesome community.”
Q: What advice would you give to future students who are considering the MSE program?
AC: “Be proactive with your own learning, and don’t be afraid to fail. I wasn’t a perfect straight A student, but I found that I learned the most in the classes that were the hardest to me, and that my biggest research successes came from failed experiments.”