Undergraduate research opportunities lead to life abroad for UTSA Top Scholar couple

Amber Chin and Kurt Johnson during their wedding last fall.

FEBRUARY 19, 2024 — Editor’s note: This article is part of a yearlong series highlighting the stories and successes of past and present UTSA Top Scholars to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the program.

 The transformative learning opportunities offered by UTSA and its Top Scholar program helped Amber Chin ’21 and Kurt Johnson ’21 make the most of their time as Roadrunners. The duo collectively worked in six different research laboratories and traveled to places like Spain, Portugal and Germany while they studied abroad.

Chin, a double major in psychology and English, was introduced to research her freshman year when she joined two UTSA laboratories as a research assistant. The labs offered her a cross-disciplinary experience where she learned programming languages and computer science techniques and applied them to research about social psychology, political science and political discourse.

“At that time, computer science was like a means to an end. The data that I was working with was best handled by using computer science methods, so I had to learn how to code,” Chin said. “We also did some work looking at digital incivility on social media — like how politicians argue, and whether it's effective at getting them attention — so that's where I got into social media scraping and natural language processing, and started learning other technical skills.”

“Study abroad wasn't even something I thought about doing, but it was a requirement for us as Top Scholars, and thankfully it was.”

Chin’s work in these labs would lead to study abroad opportunities in Germany, including a research fellowship at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in 2021. As a Fulbright Scholar, Chin received funding that gave her the opportunity to examine social movements and online political discourse in Germany during the country’s federal elections.

Johnson, a mechanical engineering major, also worked as a member of two UTSA research labs as an undergraduate, including the UTSA Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute and the  Medical Design Innovations Laboratory. In 2021, he joined Chin in Germany to complete a research internship at a biomechanics laboratory, where he developed models of artificial knee joints to reduce contact stresses.

“Fortunately, it worked out well where we could both be in the same city and working on fun projects,” Chin said.

UTSA helps students of all levels gain real-world experience and translatable skills through its commitment to career-engaged learning. By encouraging undergraduates to explore research as early as their first year on campus, or to gain global perspectives in study abroad programs, the university is a leader in providing enriching, hands-on learning opportunities that give students like Chin and Johnson a clear advantage in the job market.

For example, Johnson recently started his own engineering consulting business after spending time working as an engineer at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio.

Chin’s extensive lab and research experience helped her make the leap from a liberal arts degree to a STEM profession as a machine learning engineer with Accenture Federal Services.

The financial support that the UTSA Top Scholar program provides also helped Chin and Johnson lay the foundation for their success during and after college. With the program fully covering their tuition, fees and living expenses, they could fully immerse themselves in the college experience without any financial burden. This included participating in study abroad trips to places like Germany, which is now their current home.

“Study abroad wasn't even something I thought about doing, but it was a requirement for us as Top Scholars, and thankfully it was,” Chin said. “I don't know that I would have felt as comfortable studying abroad, or even majoring in what I did, if not for the stability of my finances being covered.”

While taking advantage of these global learning experiences, Chin and Johnson also had a chance to find love at UTSA. The pair met in fall 2017 when they were admitted to the same Top Scholar cohort and began dating their freshman year. Last fall, they celebrated their marriage with family and close friends, exchanging vows in a cozy backyard wedding before heading back overseas to live in Germany.

As a nod to the program in which they met, the couple asked Kristi Meyer, Honors College assistant dean for special programs, to officiate their ceremony. Meyer, who has directed the UTSA Top Scholar program since its launch in 2013, has played an integral part in the success of students like Chin and Johnson for the last decade.

“Kristi was both a source to hold us accountable and to push us to do greater and better things,” said Johnson. “Her mentorship really helped with carving a path through college and helped us make the most of the experience."

Now in its 10th year, the UTSA Top Scholar program continues to develop award-winning, academically talented student leaders. The program selects 10 high-achieving students from high schools across Texas to become Top Scholars each year. Each student receives a scholarship for up to four years that covers tuition, fees, and room and board. The program also provides students with a built-in community of peers who support each other’s academic, professional and personal growth.

The annual UTSA Top Scholar application deadline is December 1 of each year and includes a recommendation letter, a list of extracurricular and service activities, and several short answer questions. Prior to applying for Top Scholar, students must first have an application on file for fall admission to UTSA.

— Chloe Johnson