Two "Bioengineer Your Impact" participants are close to finishing their prosthetic hand prototype.
What is a bioengineer? What do bioengineers do? This is what 20 high school students from around the state hoped to find out at “Bioengineer Your Impact" on Saturday, October 22, 2016. Hosted by BMES, the (Biomedical Engineering Society), a student organization for Bioengineering (BIOE) undergrads, it was the organization’s first large outreach for high school students and was designed to pique the young visitors' interest in Bioengineering. During the day, highschoolers interacted with current BIOE students as student panels shared with the younger students about their experiences in research and as interns in industry. Plus, a variety of presentations and activities helped visitors discover the breadth of bioengineering career opportunities available to them in academia, industry, and the medical fields.
A panel of Bioengineering students share about their experiences as interns in industry.
During the event, visitors got lots of chances to interact with Illinois BIOE students. For instance, they heard from a couple of student panels; one comprised of both grad students and undergrads discussed some BIOE research applications. Another panel of BIOE undergrads shared about their experiences as interns in industry. Plus, to further help students understand research opportunities at Illinois, visitors toured several labs in the Institute for Genomic Biology.
A high school participant makes the fingers of Aktar's prosthetic hand move.
During the afternoon Design Challenge, participants teamed up to design prosthetic devices, then create prototypes using string, tape, cardboard tubes, plastic coils, etc.
BMES Outreach Director, Katherine Kiang, and "Bioengineer Your Impact" co-chair, Jennifer Zupancic.
According to the event co-chair, Jennifer Zupancic, a BIOE junior specializing in therapeutics, one goal of the outreach was to inform visitors about the breadth of careers available in Bioengineering.
A high schooler has some fun during the design challenge.
A high school student works on his team's prosthetic device during the design challenge.
Like Zupancic, Kiang’s goal for the event was to show students how diverse of a career path each could have as a Bioengineering student.
BIOE junior Jackie Chen shares with the high school students during the student panel on internships in industry.
Two participants work on a hands-on activity.
In the past, I have helped with several large outreach events to educate high school students as well as younger students about engineering in general through SWE. The events provided students with an opportunity to learn more about the various engineering majors from students currently studying them, and I wish I had had a similar opportunity in high school. Due to my interest specifically in bioengineering, I think it is important for high school students to be able to learn more about the field when deciding on a major.
Shannon Tripp discuss the materials she and her teammates should use to create a prosthetic hand during the afternoon design challenge.
And this was exactly why Shannon Tripp, a sophomore at Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park, a Chicago suburb, participated in “Bioengineering Your Impact.” She is specifically exploring careers in Bioengineering and wanted to find out more about it.
“Last year in biology, we learned about bioengineering, and I thought it was supercool!” she acknowledges.
Tripp also particularly enjoyed Aktar's prosthetic hand presentation: "Yea, I thought that was phenomenal. It was amazing."
Bianca Rubel (right), and a teammate create a prosthetic hand during the afternoon's design challenge.
Another participant, Bianca Rubel, an eighth grader at University Laboratory High School in Urbana, came to the event because she enjoys events about engineering and science. "I love going to all of these engineering events. I've gone to a ton, and I always have a lot of fun." Does she intend to go into engineering? "I don't know, honestly," she reports. "I have no idea what I'm going to do, but engineering's definitely a possibility."
BIOE student Michael Qian (right) works with a team of high school students creating their design project.