Fei Chen is no stranger to breaking down walls. Since she joined associate professor Nikhil Gupta’s Composite Materials and Mechanics Laboratory (CMML)four years ago as a research student, the NYU Tandon doctoral candidate has been developing pioneering research into 3D printing and cybersecurity. In 2019, Chen will be the first female Ph.D. student to graduate from CMML and as Gupta’s advisee.