Rose-Hulman gave Raghuraj (Raj) Hoshing an opportunity to immerse himself in an unfamiliar culture alongside people from all walks of life—and forge connections built on a shared love of STEM disciplines.
Hoshing, a 2017 chemistry graduate, traveled to Rose-Hulman from his native India based on recommendations from friends who attended other colleges in Indiana. What he found when he arrived was a school rigorous enough to build his chemistry knowledge and research skills, and small enough to foster close bonds.
“I feel like if there are too many people in the class, you sort of just end up with like a small group of people that you're like friends with, and it's typically people who are like more like yourself,” Hoshing said. “With a smaller student body, you are driven to connect with a lot more people, people who might not be as similar to yourself, and you just get more exposure to different kinds of people.”
On a campus focused on STEM education, Hoshing had a shared interest with everyone he encountered. Together, he and his fellow students navigated an academic journey that influences his work to this day.
As an applications specialist for Oxford Instruments, based in the San Francisco area, Hoshing works with a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer. He demonstrates to scientists in fields as far-ranging as pharmaceutical sales, the petroleum industry, and wine-growing how the machine can help them improve their research.
Hoshing often uncovers useful ways of employing the NMR spectrometer that customers hadn’t considered. For a machine whose cost can reach into the millions of dollars, proving that the tool works is critical—and showing benefits that go beyond the expected further illustrates its value.
He first used an NMR spectrometer as a student at Rose-Hulman, an opportunity he said he likely wouldn’t have gotten as an undergraduate at most institutions. This hands-on access to high-end equipment, along with classes that emphasized research and discovery, set Hoshing on his future academic and career path.
“It replicates real-world problem-solving, using different tests and instrumentation to try to put together pieces of the puzzles,” Hoshing said.
He went on to earn a doctoral degree in organic chemistry from Brown University. Today Hoshing aims to “drive science” through work inspired by his work as part of Rose-Hulman’s diverse student body.
“The opportunities, instrumentation, and lab facilities there are some of the best I’ve ever seen at any higher education institution,” he said.