Hi! I’m Alex, a physics student at the University of Toronto. One idea I keep coming back to is “different is better.” To me, that does not mean being different just for the sake of it, it means being willing to question the default way of doing things, try a different solution, experience something unfamiliar, and stay open to a life that is a little more exciting because of it.

That mindset shows up in most of what I do: using physics to understand systems, engineering to make ideas happen, philosophy to question assumptions, and photography to notice the ordinary things that quietly change with time, light, and perspective.

Most of my work lives somewhere between physics, electronics, and hands-on engineering. At the University of Toronto Electric Vehicle (UTEV) Research Centre, I’m working on several battery-related projects, including a Multi-Chemistry Battery platform, DC fast-charging infrastructure, and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy testing to optimize fast-charging. 

Before that, I worked on BMS hardware validation at Litens Automotive Group, where I built HIL/V&V test benches for battery-pack electronics. That experience changed how I judge good engineering work. A system is not truly finished just because it works for the person who built it; it has to be understandable, repeatable, reliable, and easy enough for other people to use without needing the designer standing beside them.

I also spent several years with UofT Blue Sky Solar Racing, where I served as an electromechanical lead and helped build a solar car from the ground up. I redesigned the BMS, worked on the custom battery pack, helped wire the vehicle end-to-end, and led electrical integration across multiple subsystems. The final test was taking the car across nearly 3000 km of the Australian outback, powered only by the sun.

Academically, physics and math have shaped the way I think. It taught me to move between different levels of abstraction: sometimes the answer is in the circuit, sometimes in the model, and sometimes in the assumptions behind the model. More than anything, it trained me to ask what can be simplified, what cannot be ignored, and what perspective is actually useful for the problem in front of me. I find that habit useful in engineering too, because solving a problem often starts with figuring out what kind of problem it really is: when to zoom out to the bigger picture, and when to narrow down to the level of detail that actually matters.

My interest in history and philosophy of science adds another layer to how I think. I’m especially interested in how small ideas, assumptions, and inventions can create unexpected consequences over time. It helps me step outside a single technical viewpoint and think through problems from different paradigms, whether that means looking at the physics, the engineering tradeoffs, the historical context, or the human impact.

Outside the lab, I spend a lot of time with photography and stargazing. Part of me likes looking outward at the infinite scale of the universe and being reminded of how small we are within something so vast. Another part of me likes looking inward, at the ordinary things around us that quietly change with time, light, and perspective. A camera gives me a reason to slow down, hold onto moments I might have missed otherwise, and find a bit of peace in an otherwise busy life.

Always down for an interesting project!!!

You can reach me at alexzengxi.work@gmail.com