Hello! It's time for another Macademics post! I've been talking a lot about different topics related to computer engineering so I decided to use our Macademics series to highlight other engineering disciplines! This week, I chose one of my best friends, Jahnelle Jordan, to share her experiences and educate all of us about Bio-Engineering. Here's what she had to say:
What is Bio-Engineering?
Bio-Engineering is understanding how the body works, studying different biological systems, and understanding how to improve upon them.
What made you want to study Bio-Engineering?
My mom was a pharmaceutical sales rep and would always talk about different drugs and how they worked in the body. This peaked my interest in studying Bio-Engineering in college and after my freshmen year, I did a summer research experience which solidified my choice.
What were some of your favorite classes in college, and why?
My top three classes were:
Intro to Tissue Engineering
Bio-Materials and Biocompatability,
Emerging Biomedical Technologies
These were all my favorite because I took them later on in my college career after all the "boring" prerequisites and helped nourish my Bio-Engineering interests. Additionally, these classes discussed what is currently going on in the Bio-Engineering world allowing me to understand how Bio-Engineering relates in the real world.
What was your biggest obstacle throughout college and how did you overcome it?
My biggest obstacle was procrastinating and not allocating enough time which resulted in me constantly being stressed and having to play catch up. To overcome my procrastination tendencies, I started keeping a planner and I also got more excited about the classes I was taking which motivated me to do the work for my classes.
What are you doing post-graduation?
I'm going to grad school at the University of Florida to pursue a PhD in Bio-Engineering. While I'm there, I hope to do research in the diabetes field working towards finding a cure for Type 1 diabetes.
What is one great piece of advice that a professor or mentor has told you during your college career?
My mentor once told me, "You have a voice and you can be powerful; but only if you use it."
Do you have any advice for the girls pursuing Bio-Engineering or other types of Engineering?
My two biggest pieces of advice are to 1) do your research and make sure that it's something you are passionate about and 2) don't be afraid to take advantage of all opportunities both inside and outside of your field. By doing this you can graduate with the confidence that you know what you like and what you don't like and that you're ready for the next steps.
Thanks Jahnelle for allowing me to feature you on the blog! While Jahnelle was in undergrad, she co-authored two papers that were published in Scientific Journals. You can check them out here:
Check out my previous Macademics Posts!
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