Class of 2025: Stephen Argauer named College of Science Outstanding Senior
Name: Stephen Argauer
College: College of Science
Degree: Chemistry with minors in mathematics and leadership and service
Hometown: Vienna, Virginia
Plans after graduation: Argauer will be attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the fall for a master's degree in physical chemistry.
Favorite Hokie memory: As a member of the Corps of Cadets, Argauer participated in the Caldwell March his freshman year. His cadre had him sing songs to raise morale during the march.
Research interest: “I enjoyed chemistry during high school, but I didn't actually know if I would like chemistry until I started doing research,” said Argauer. “Then I got invested.”
In Diego Troya and Caroline Saouma’s labs in the Department of Chemistry, Argauer’s goal is to study a hydrogenation catalyst, which helps convert hydrogen and carbon dioxide into formate — a molecule that is useful for hydrogen storage. To do this, he works on computational analyses of these catalysts — giving him a foundation in both physical and theoretical chemistry.
The pursuit of excellence
Over his time at Virginia Tech, Argauer became super aware of two elements that led to his all-around success as a student.
The first is an intrinsic motivation to always do his best, which originally fueled his excellence while homeschooled and later, his college education.
“Ever since I was little, I just wanted to do what I did really well. Regardless of which direction I pointed, I always tried to do really well. The military was great because they gave me a firm direction, even though I didn’t know where I would end up. Now I get to celebrate in a pretty good spot.”
The second is a lesson he learned when meeting with an Air Force officer. The officer brought up the OODA loop decision-making process — observe, orient, decide, and act.
“The officer asked me, ‘What's the most important step.’ I said I didn’t know, and guessed observe. He said ‘Actually, it’s none of them. It’s the feedback loop.’ I realized that the feedback loop is how you improve, and it’s the most essential part of anything you do.”
The feedback loop propelled Argauer through the first couple of years at Virginia Tech, even if it was mostly subconsciously. But when he hit a wall of senioritis this past fall, he recognized its significance in all aspects of his life.
“I’m consciously aware of how important the feedback loop is. If I want to do well on something, I have to do poorly the first time and find feedback until I can get better and better.”
These two themes will propel Argauer through his next step after undergrad: pursuing a master's degree in chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.