Liam Bergerson

Global Challenge: Affordable Education

Liam O'Brien Bergerson is a first-year student at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, majoring in Mathematics and Physics with a minor in Quantum Technology. Drawn to the frontier of science, Liam chose his field out of a desire to contribute to quantum computing, which he believes has the potential to be revolutionary. Raised in upstate New York, Liam developed an early passion for science and a hunger for environments where intellectual curiosity and service to others went hand in hand, which are values that have defined his path ever since. Outside of academics, Liam dabbles in piano, plays ultimate frisbee, and enjoys chess.

At Tandon, Liam serves as Secretary of the Society of Undergraduate Physicists and works on the flight dynamics subteam of the Rogue Aerospace VIP, simulating trajectories for a 10,000-foot rocket. He has also spent years as a mentor and educator, leading youth retreats, tutoring students in Harlem, and serving as a full-time elementary school teaching assistant during his senior year of high school. These experiences have sharpened both his technical skills and his ability to lead, and he hopes to continue that growth by pursuing a PhD after graduation.

A service trip to Kibera, Nairobi, which is one of the world's largest informal settlements, reshaped Liam's understanding of global inequality and inspired his passion in the UN's goals around poverty, health, and access to education. It is that experience, combined with the deep connections he formed across cultural boundaries, that drew him to GLASS. He joins GLASS excited for the community, surrounded by scholars who bring the same energy to service as they do to their research.