Biomedical Engineering majors are doing amazing things with their degrees. Poised at the intersection of medicine and engineering, a BME degree offers endless possibilities for you to make an impact. Here's what they have to say.
Senior
Biomedical Engineering
Fulbright Scholar
Glastonbury, CT
What started as a typical Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) turned into the opportunity of a lifetime for Kwasi Amofa, who was recently accepted as a prestigious Fulbright Scholar. He spent a summer doing research at MIT, where one of his mentors was previously a Fulbright Scholar, and encouraged Kwasi to apply to the program. The application process was rigorous and included finding a host institution, various statements of interest, and letters of recommendation. However, Kwasi had the support he needed from his faculty advisor and professors at Western New England University.
The support that I received from my professors was tremendous,” he said. “They were a great help in putting together my application and putting everything together. Everything just fell in the right place at the right time. My education at Western New England prepared me to dive into the research environment, and my advisors helped me find out what I wanted to pursue and achieve my goals, which was important.”
Kwasi will spend next year in the Netherlands at the MERLN Institute for Technology—Inspired Regenerative Medicine, working on a new project to bioengineer a cornea, which could potentially have a large impact on medicine. He will work with a group of researchers across many disciplines, including engineering, biology, chemistry, and material science, which Kwasi feels will make the experience even more enriching.
Biomedical Engineering
Six-year Engineering/Law
New York City, NY
As a Biomedical Engineering major, Hadiatou Barry was interested in cancer research, and used her Senior Design Project to study the disease further. Her project used Quantum Dots, and concentrated on a more expedient way to track drug delivery when administered to a cancer patient using nanotechnology.
As part of the accelerated Six-year Engineering/Law program, Hadiatou found a seamless way to further develop her interest in medicine by exploring the law’s impact on healthcare.
“The Six-year Engineering/Law program is unique in that I could build on my biomedical engineering background, as well get a law degree that has numerous applications in patent law and health law. There are so many options to in the law field, and I am able to learn more about them in relation to my interest in the medical field.”
Senior
Biomedical Engineering
President and CEO, AnyCafé
Horseheads, NY
At first glance, Biomedical Engineering major Logan Carlson is a typical Western New England student. However, he is already the president and CEO of his own company, AnyCafé.
Logan came up with the idea for a travel mug that brews coffee on the spot, and AnyCafé was born. He gathered a team and started honing his idea at the annual 3 Day Startup (3DS) program at the University. By the end of the weekend they were ready to seriously pursue building AnyCafé from a product to a real company. Since then, they have participated in the Valley Venture Mentors Accelerator program, ran a successful Kickstarter campaign, and Logan delivered his first TEDx Talk about his experiences as an entrepreneur.
“Western New England is good at opening doors, he said. “There are so many people, from alumni, to faculty, and the Board of Trustees, who are here and willing to help you. Western New England has built such a strong community. If you can tap into that, you can do pretty much anything you want.”
To learn more about AnyCafé visit anycafecoffee.com. If you’d like to view Logan’s TEDx Talk, it is available on Youtube.
Six-year Engineering/Law
Biomedical Engineering
MS in Engineering Management
Associate Attorney
Hoffman Warnick LLC
Albany, NY
Biomedical Engineering impacts healthcare from diagnostics to the forefront of biomaterial synthesis. Biomedical Engineering graduate Emily Dubuc sees an understanding of both biomedical engineering and law as the next bridge in keeping healthcare accessible yet innovative.
She now works as a lawyer at Hoffman Warnick LLC, where she assists with patent application preparation and prosecution, particularly for medical devices and other technologies. Her degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Law (as well as a master’s in Engineering Management) prepared her not only to understand the products she is filing patents for, but also to ensure that they are safe and correctly implemented.
“I started as an engineer because I wanted to help people. That hasn’t changed. I fell in love with the idea of ethics and patents. I want medical devices to go to patients as fast as possible, but also with the proper approval. Western New England has given me both the engineering knowledge and the legal foundation to help medical products remain ethical.”
