Student Success
BIOENGINEERING STUDENT AWARDS
Our students received numerous awards at the local and national levels. The University of Texas at Dallas Department of Bioengineering continues to attract students committed to pursuing excellence in research and education.
2023 Convergence Grant Recipients
Undergraduate Poster Competition1st: Shreya Tirumala Kumara
Undergraduate Poster Competition
1st: Shreya Tirumala Kumara
2nd: Maxwell Quaye
3rd : Priniya Jakkamsetti
Outstanding Graduate Award at the PhD level
Kelden Pruitt
Outstanding Graduate Award at the MS level
Justin Cadenhead
Outstanding Graduate Award at the BS level
Sonali Gandhi
Outstanding Bioengineering Ambassador
Connor Neifert
ASLMS A. Ward Ford Memorial Institute Fund
Triniti Vanoven
Milad Almasian
Nimit Shah
Connor Neifert
Rouzbeh Molaei Imenabadi
Jeremy Warren
Nathaniel Tjahjono
Shuai Shao
Fall 2023 BE Researchers
Zachary Lee
Jenna Krueger
Jaideep Kaur
Ryan Faris
Nicole Huning
Miguel Figueroa Hernandez
Shreya Tirumala Kumara
Sohail Hassan
Belten Langmia
Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science’s Outstanding Graduate Student (PhD Level)
Dominique James
Goldwater ScholarZachary Lee
Manogna Jonnalagadda
Abhinav Kokala
Emma LeBlanc
Erik Jonsson School Undergraduate Research Award
Alexander Medina
Varun Gunda
Serena Tran
Kaye Mabbun
Anagha Murthy
Fatima Rizvi
Jaideep Kaur
Jenna Krueger
Macie Kauffman
Ryan Faris
Varun Gunda
Bioengineering Best TA
Triniti Vanoven
Goldwater Scholar
Zachary Lee
Jonsson School Best Dissertation Award
Ivneet Banga
CELEBRATING OUR DOCTORAL GRADUATES
USENSE: Development of an electrochemical Sensing Platform Towards Multiplexed Detection of Urinary Biomarkers for Urinary Tract Infection Management.
Chronic Recording Performance of Intracortical Microelectrodes Arrays: Study Design, Bioactive Coatings, and Effects of Neuronal Populations
Determining the Mechanical Cues That Modulate the Myofibroblast Differentiation of Corneal Keratocytes
Developing a Pressure Estimation System Using Phase-change Contrast Agents as Pressure Sensors
Microelectrodes Arrays for Chronic Neural Recording
Augmenting Rehabilitation with Vagus Nerve Stimulation to Increase Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury
Development of Softening and Electrically Stable Multi-Electrode Array for Functional Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury.
Determining How ECM Mechanics Regulate Corneal Keratocyte Behavior In An In-Vitro Model of Corneal Wound Healing.
Three-Dimensional (3-D) Focused Ultrasound for Improved Drug Delivery
Investigating the Role of Patterned Tissue Stiffness Cell Proliferation and YAP Localization in Embryonic Kidney Development
Formulation and Characterization of Novel Bioactive Protein Microbubbles for Biomedical Applications
Synthetic Gene Circuits as Benchmarks for Understanding Biological Networks
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
BMES Graduate Student Association
President: Heriter Adam
Treasurer: Taylor Hinchliffe
Alumni Outreach: Christopher Nguyen
Public Relations: Sugandha Chaudhary
Membership Chair: Sumedha Guha
Biomedical Engineering Society Officers
President: Onyedi Ololo
Vice President: Talia Alhammoud
Treasurer: Priyanka Almark
Secretary: Kaye Mabbun
Education Chair: Maxwell Quaye
Marking Chair: Sugkirthy Gowri Sridhar
Tutoring Chairs: Suhaas Penukonda and Rudra Krishnamurthy
Research Chairs: Nicole Huning and Varun Gunda
Industry Chairs: Stacey Velazquez and Angela Li
Philanthropy: Jenny Ong
The chapters also played pivotal roles in hosting the Bioengineering Career Fairs in the fall and spring. Additionally, they organized a Bioengineering Undergraduate 3MT-style competition, where undergraduates showcased their research within three minutes, followed by a mini undergraduate poster presentation. The UTD BMES chapters remain committed to providing valuable support and opportunities for aspiring bioengineers. The successful academic year is a testament to their dedication and hard work.
UTDESIGN® CAPSTONE
The UTDesign Capstone experience is a two-semester course sequence in which biomedical engineering majors (in teams with other engineering majors) design solutions to real-world problems for corporate and university sponsors. UTDesign is housed in a 40,000-square-foot facility for student teams to ideate, create, assemble, test devices and meet.
Dr. Todd Polk, associate professor of practice and UTDesign director, noted: “We strive to provide our students with a real-world engineering experience and have organized UTDesign Capstone like a company.” Polk added, “We treat [the students] like working engineers from day one, and the overall experience has proved to be highly beneficial to them as they enter the professional world after graduation.”
AT A GLANCE
Summer/Fall 2023 winners and information
Team sponsors included
Gemini Digital Labs, RHE Hatco LLC, Longshots Disc Golf, Olive Tree Therapeutics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, UTD Geosciences, and Logical Company
Award Winners
Best Overall Project: – Increasing Peripheral Intravenous Needle and Catheter Visibility Using Ultrasound sponsored by UT Southwestern
We want to congratulate our hardworking students on the team for their outstanding dedication and effort. We are truly grateful for the support of our sponsor, UT Southwestern. Unfortunately, due to the project receiving a patent, we are unable to share details about the project at this time. Thank you to everyone involved for their contributions to this success.
AT A GLANCE
Spring 2024 winners and information
Team sponsors included
Gemini Digital Labs, The University of Texas at Dallas, UT Southwestern Medical Center AMY Resuscitation, Ronawk, Abbott, Amphenol Fiber Systems International, Leonardo DRS, Motus Labs, Variosystems, Cobalt Product Solutions, First Co, Texas Instruments, Manta Systems, and C&W Appliance Service.
Award Winners
Best Overall Project: CPR Quality Indicator Sponsored by UT Southwestern Medical Center
This team developed a wearable cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) quality indicator to provide real-time feedback on CPR performance. The device can enhance CPR training outcomes and improve performance in real-life cardiac arrest scenarios. The device is an armband equipped with LEDs to display three critical parameters: compression rate, depth, and recoil.
According to the American Heart Association, effective CPR requires a compression rate of 100 – 120 bpm, a depth of at least two inches, and a complete expansion of the chest for full recoil. Our device uses simple visual indications to alert the CPR provider if any CPR parameter is being performed below or above the ideal standards. This innovative tool simplifies CPR delivery, allowing anyone to perform high-quality CPR that increases the likelihood of survival during cardiac emergencies.
JR. DESIGN
At A Glance
Spring 2024 information
PROJECT-BASED LEARNING PREPARES BIOENGINEERING STUDENTS FOR CAPSTONE
Dr. Christian Rivera designed it in such a way as it matches what Dr. Polk does. At UT Dallas, all engineering and computer science bachelor’s students are required to complete a senior design capstone program called UTDesign Capstone. The program typically takes two semesters and requires students to work in teams to solve a problem for a sponsor, most of whom are industry partners.
“This experience offers many benefits for students,” Rivera said, “but students also need more time to develop skills in teamwork, design and problem solving.”
Rivera worked with Dr. Todd Polk, associate professor of practice and UTDesign director for bioengineering, and other faculty to improve the vertical alignment, or transfer and reinforcement of skills from one course to another.
“The addition of junior design to the required biomedical engineering curriculum has been very positive,” Polk said. “Students are showing up much more prepared for senior design. They have had exposure to the engineering design process and documentation requirements used in senior design, and that is accelerating the beginning stages of their capstone projects.”
Rivera added, “I designed it in such a way as it matches what Dr. Polk does. The students go through the same steps, so they get a preview of what’s coming.”
Rivera also connected with faculty who were teaching related areas. Biomedical engineering can incorporate skills from electrical engineering and mechanical engineering, such as computer-aided design (or CAD), as well as biology and chemistry.
