2024 Rising BME Scholars conference provides students with valuable career insights
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The Richard and Loan Hill Department of Biomedical Engineering hosted the 2024 Rising BME Scholars Regional Career Conference this summer as part of the collaborative effort to recruit, strengthen, and diversify the next generation of academic researchers in biomedical engineering.
The event included student research presentations, workshops, panel discussions, social events such as a Willis Tower Sky Deck tour and a Chicago Architecture Boat Tour, and plenary speakers. Through the event, participants learned from each other and faculty about pathways to professional success in academic careers.
Juliana Benavides Lara, a BME PhD student at UIC, said the conference was a valuable platform for addressing questions about her PhD but couldn’t articulate.
“In academic settings, it can be challenging to broach topics that are not directly related to academia or research,” Benavides said. “However, I found this conference to be the perfect opportunity to discuss both. I was able to learn about the work of others and showcase my current projects. The most compelling aspect for me was the panels and the topics that were covered.”
She felt that as a woman in engineering, the conference was also a safe space to address concerns about future planning or mental health without being looked down upon. The women on each panel provided valuable insight into their careers and how they overcame the challenges of academia.
“After having the opportunity to talk with the other students at the conference, I learned that different perspectives on BME prospects are important,” Benavides Lara said. “All students agreed that the conference was a great chance to go beyond just reading papers and posters.”
Participants include Rana Abbed, Najah Ahsan, Goodluck Okoro, and Joseph Tibbs of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Larry Atakora-Amaniampong, Lila Dabill, Rachel Hawthorn, and DeVaughn Rucker of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, Taylor Bader, Christina Grace Hymer, and Belinda Okomeng of the University of Kansas, Megan Baker and Athena Lopez of the University of Texas at Austin, and Nathan Churcher of the University Of Texas-Dallas, Juliana Benavides Lara, Faruk Hossen, and Aime Luna of UIC, Wrik Bhadra, Daniel Meggo, and Reza Seyed Amouzandeh of The University of Iowa, Sebastian Correa of Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, Perri “PJ” Johnson of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and the University of Memphis, Kathryn Kang and Kayle Riley of the University of Michigan, Grace Lowor of the University of Florida, Amir Mahari of the University of Arkansas, and Ritu Shah of the University of Minnesota.
The National Science Foundation, UIC, the University of Arkansas, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Iowa, the University of Kansas, the University of Michigan, the University of Minnesota, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, sponsored the event.