Oct 27, 2017 | Questions & Answers
Luis Palafox at the windmills of the La Mancha region in Consuegra, Spain, about 80 miles outside of central Madrid.
Luis Palafox is a senior biomedical engineering major, and a current Gilman scholar studying abroad in Spain. Below, he answers questions about the scholarship application process and his study abroad experience so far.
UArk BME: Where are you from? How far along are you in your studies at the U of A?
Palafox: I am from Fort Smith, Arkansas; it is my hometown and I went to high school there (go Northside Grizzlies!) I completed 2 years of undergraduate study at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith prior to transferring to the main U of A campus in Fayetteville. I completed my junior year here before leaving to study abroad and I am now a senior, currently in my 4th year of undergraduate study.
UArk BME: When/how did you first hear about the Gilman Scholarship?
Palafox: I first heard about it from Bryan Hill when he made a presentation in my course “Intro to Biomedical Engineering,” which Dr. Raj Rao was teaching at the time (fall 2016). Bryan presented new study abroad options for BME students—there was an opportunity to go out of the country for transferable credits in Australia, Denmark, or Spain. Towards the end of the presentation he discussed funding options such as saving personal money, going to nearby local churches for possible scholarships, setting up a GoFundMe, applying for bank loans, using FAFSA, applying for UArk scholarships like the Johnetta Cross Brazzell Award or a College of Engineering travel grant, and applying for outside scholarships like the Gilman Scholarship.
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Oct 5, 2017 | Advice From...
Marinna Tadros shows the children how to make putty.
Ethan Echols is a senior biomedical engineering major from Fort Smith, Arkansas. He is also the president of the University of Arkansas Biomedical Engineering Society, a group that recently took an outreach trip to Butterfield Elementary School. Below, he reports on the trip:
On September 26, 2017, several students with the University of Arkansas Biomedical Engineering Society visited Butterfield Elementary School to perform a variety of science experiments with the school’s science club. While most of our events take place on campus and concern only biomedical engineering students, community outreach is also a priority for this society. The opportunity to share scientific knowledge with children is particularly important, as early cultivation of scientific curiosity in young minds is essential for the emergence of tomorrow’s leaders in science and engineering.
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Oct 2, 2017 | Questions & Answers
Nasya Sturdivant
Nasya Sturdivant is a doctoral student in biomedical engineering here at the U of A. She is presently at work building an effective synthetic blood-brain barrier that will help improve the treatment of traumatic brain injuries.
UArk BME: Did you always know you wanted to study biomedical engineering?
Sturdivant: I didn’t know I wanted to study biomedical engineering until my junior year in undergrad. A generation ago, the field of biomedical engineering wasn’t widespread. So it wasn’t a subject I grew up wanting to study. I did, however, know I wanted to be in a life sciences field and while in high school I gained interest in engineering and design. Researching a combination of the two is when I began to learn more about the emerging field of biomedical engineering.
UArk BME: You received your undergraduate degree from North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, NC. What made you choose the University of Arkansas for graduate school?
Sturdivant: The Department of Engineering at the U of A was very new when I joined. The exciting research interests of the faculty along with the extreme potential for growth of the department was a huge draw for me. I also had the opportunity to visit the university and the department before applying and I really meshed with Dr. Balachandran, my current advisor.
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Aug 21, 2017 | Uncategorized
Congratulations to Dr. Jeffrey Wolchok, who was recently promoted to Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Wolchok has been with the Biomedical Engineering Department since its inception, and was recently awarded the 2017 Departmental award for Outstanding Achievement in Service.
Dr. Wolchok’s research interests include biomaterials, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, bioreactors and the influence of mechanical force on cell behavior, as well as the design of medical devices. His research and educational programs are currently funded by the National Institute of Health and the National Science Foundation. In an article in the Arkansas Engineer, he explained that he makes “‘widgets and devices that allow us to understand the behavior of cells.'” Article writer Camilla Shumaker added that, “Wolchok looks at what happens when tissues in our bodies are damaged, and he investigates ways to prevent or repair that damage.”
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Jul 25, 2017 | Internships
Wagle with his university medical class (left) and at El Hospital General Al Norte in Puebla, Mexico (right).
Saurabh Wagle is an undergraduate majoring in premed and biomedical engineering at the University of Arkansas. This past summer, he spent five weeks studying health care in Puebla, Mexico by by taking classes in Spanish medical terminology and shadowing at local hospitals. Below, he reports on his experience:
Studying abroad for the first time was an extremely nerve-wracking, yet exciting experience that I will never forget. As soon as I entered my terminal and saw my friends, I knew that this study abroad experience would be truly special. During the plane rides, I kept thinking about how all of the Spanish classes that I had taken and all of the times that I had practiced speaking in Spanish had finally come to this. In the end, it was simply incredible to have the opportunity to become fully immersed in a different culture and to be able to navigate through the city of Puebla using the Spanish speaking skills that I had previously acquired.
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Apr 24, 2017 | Questions & Answers
Khang in the lab
Alex Khang graduated in 2016 with an honors degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Arkansas. He is presently a PhD student in biomedical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, and was recently awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship for the upcoming academic year.
UArk BME: When you first arrived at the U of A, did you know what you wanted to study?
Khang: I did not know exactly what I wanted to study but I knew that math and science were my strongest areas so I considered majoring in an engineering discipline. Biomedical Engineering stood out to me amongst the rest of the engineering majors at the University of Arkansas due to its dedication to bettering the state of human health.
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