Jorge Cham
PHD Comics
Pasadena, CA USA
"As a Ph.D. student, you are given a very open problem that no one in the history of humanity as far as we know has figured out or even thought about...now it’s up to you to do it! "
Career Roadmap
Jorge's work combines: Art, Engineering, and Communicating / Sharing Stories
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Sometimes we pursue things not because we enjoy it, but because we have an idea of ourselves doing it. I had to realize that being a professor was not something I was truly passionate about. If I had to pick a career out of things that make me happy, then making my comic is it.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Mechanical Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
Graduate Degree
Mechanical Engineering
Stanford University
Doctorate
Robotics Technology/Technician
Stanford University
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators:
High School
Bachelor's Degree: Art/Art Studies, General
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
Was born and raised in Panama.
2.
Both of his parents were engineers—he grew up seeing first-hand the joy of solving problems and being “on the cutting edge...devoting your life to something new no one has ever done before.”
3.
Attended Georgia Institute of Technology for his undergraduate studies and went on to receive his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Stanford University.
4.
He has worked as an instructor and researcher developing neural prosthetics at Caltech, and has also worked on a project developing robotic “cockroaches” that can explore areas humans can’t.
5.
In response to the common anxieties students face going through grad school, he created his popular newspaper and web comic strip, Piled Higher and Deeper (PHD Comics).
6.
PHD Comics has been adapted into two feature-length films: "The PHD Movie" and "The PHD Movie 2: Still in Grad School"; screened at over 500 locations across all seven continents.
7.
He also co-wrote and illustrated—along with physicist Daniel Whiteson—the book "We Have No Idea: A Guide to the Unknown Universe".
8.
Says he sees similarities between his scientific/academic work and his creative art—both embody the search for truth and an expansion of knowledge.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
I thought you were going to be a professor, why would you quit to be a cartoonist?
How I responded:
Sometimes we pursue things not because we enjoy it, but because we have an idea of ourselves doing it. I had to realize that being a professor was not something I was truly passionate about. If I had to pick a career out of things that make me happy, then making my comic is it.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I was born in Panama and my parents were engineers working in the Panama Canal Zone. Coming to the U.S. was a bit of a culture shock.
I have always been a procrastinator, but in many instances I have found that to be my motivator and can actually be a good thing.