chapter development report - bmes

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Chapter Development Report

University of Pittsburgh Undergraduate Biomedical Engineering

Society June 2019-June 2020 Corresponding Author Tyler Bray Chapter President Phone: (315) 454-2880 Email: [email protected] Executive Summary

This report summarizes the activities of the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) undergraduate student chapter of the Biomedical Engineering Society from June 2019 to June 2020. Over this time, Pitt BMES has successfully maintained its high level of involvement with Pitt’s

bioengineering community while further expanding its role in aiding student development. We’ve stayed involved with our national organization by sending 48 undergraduates to

present research at the BMES Annual Meeting. We provided students with many opportunities to learn about and network with local industries through guided tours and site visits (Philips, LivaNova, ZOLL, Bayer, Cook Myosite) along with our annual Dinner with Industry events. We furthered student/faculty interactions through events we have run previously (Dinner with Professors, Mock Interviews, Resume Reviews) and new ones (Fireside Chats and Desserts with the Department). One very successful focus of this year was the continued development of our mentorship program. These interactions allowed students to make friends across class barriers, allowing a natural breed of mentorship and information spread to occur. Finally, we extended our professional development initiatives by adding another Dinner with Industry event and three Round Table Mixers at Philips’

Advanced Innovation team offices. This year marked great improvements for our student chapter, as our hard work in organizing and facilitating events gained respect from the undergraduates and the department faculty. It is with this momentum and a large cast of returning executive board members that we challenge ourselves and set goals for the upcoming school year as we grow and strengthen as a student chapter of BMES.

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June 1, 2020 Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) 8201 Corporate Drive, Suite 1125 Landover, MD 20785-2224 Dear BMES,

The University of Pittsburgh Biomedical Engineering Society is proud to be a resource and liaison for our fellow undergraduates in the Department of Bioengineering, professionals in industry, faculty at the University, and surrounding community. We work hard to supplement the traditional engineering curriculum with a variety of activities to enrich and stimulate our members’

academic and professional experience. Biomedical industry tours, networking events, presentations of undergraduate student research, clinical and industrial panel presentations, and social activities are the highlights of our program.

This year, we strove to expand our industry and mentorship initiatives while maintaining our improvements in social programming and community outreach achieved the previous year. We introduced a variety of new mentorship events this year thanks to the efforts of our Mentorship Chair, including weekly study halls, group yoga classes, trivia and a holiday potluck. These new events garnered a total of more than 110 attendees and received overwhelmingly positive feedback from students. For extending our industry relations, we furthered our existing partnerships with Pittsburgh’s biotech community by hosting company representatives for our bioengineering-specific career fair in the fall, our 8th Annual Bioengineering Day in the spring, and sending students on site visits to companies.

We are excited to strive towards our next goals of bolstering our industry and alumni relations, building our freshmen engagement, and further developing our community outreach. With an experienced, dedicated and well-connected Executive Board and the support of our chapter advisor and department, we strongly believe these are attainable missions that will fall in place alongside our typical events and offerings. Through professional networking events, social outings, and outreach opportunities, we have helped solidify a true undergraduate biomedical engineering community that makes students’

time at Pitt both more valuable and enjoyable. We look forward to continuing our growth as a BMES student chapter and expanding what we provide to our student, academic, and local communities. We thank the National BMES office for the support and resources made available to our student chapter. Sincerely, Tyler Bray Arash Mahboobin, PhD Student Chapter President Student Chapter Advisor [email protected] [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


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Table of Contents

Cover Page……………………………………………………………………. 1

Cover Letter.…………………………………………………………………. 2

Table of Contents………………………………………………………….. 3

Administrative Report…………………………………………………… 4

Treasury Report……………………………………………………………. 9

Chapter Activities………………………………………………………….. 11

Social, General Body Meetings, Other Activities……………. 12

Inter-Chapter Activities…………………………………………………. 22

Outreach Activities……………………………………………………….. 23

Mentoring Activities……………………………………………………… 27

Industry and Professional Development Activities………… 31

National BMES Meeting………………………………………………… 42

Future Directions………………………………………………………….. 43

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I. Administration Report Board members held individual responsibilities that were supervised by the President and Vice-President. The board of officers met on a weekly basis to ensure we were prepared and our events would run smoothly. We held general body meetings (GBMs) every other week and ran other events more frequently. Our Monday morning newsletters informed the nearly 500 people on our mailing list of upcoming BMES happenings and highlights from the previous week’s events. We implemented committees into a couple select areas of our organization beginning in the spring semester. Our motivation behind this was multifaceted. Our executive board had grown substantially over the past three years to the point we realized we weren’t operating as effectively as we had before. Drawing inspiration from the BMES Student Chapter Best Practices presentations we had all listened to, our board decided to prototype committees this spring. In addition to allowing more general body members to participate in event planning and execution, the board members who were in charge of the committees gained valuable leadership experience. Initial results from our committee structure were positive and led us to restructure the executive board positions for 2020-2021 to more fully incorporate this scheme. A. Officer Contact Information

*indicates this board member headed up a committee in the spring semester

Tyler Bray President 315-454-2880 [email protected]

Hannah Geisler Vice President 412-328-9404 [email protected]

Kate Rohde Secretary 224-465-4848 [email protected]

Maxwell Lohss Business Manager 717-659-7380 [email protected]

Jacob Meadows Public Relations* 215-208-2643 [email protected]

McKenzie Sicke Publicity Chair 585-683-4313 [email protected]

Claire Tushak Prof. Dev. Chair 814-969-1058 [email protected]

Robert Kwiat Outreach Chair* 724-730-4063 [email protected]

Marlo Garrison Mentorship Chair 484-784-7788 [email protected]

Dani Krahe Social Chair* 724-301-4244 [email protected]

Jesse Lange Freshmen Rep 586-255-1903 [email protected]

Noah Ziemba Sophomore Rep 513-679-0980 [email protected]


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B. Management Web of Officer Responsibilities

C. Membership There are 254 undergraduate students in the University of Pittsburgh’s Department

of Bioengineering, but the department does not keep record of the students who are national BMES members (besides those who present at the National Conference).

D. General Body Meetings and Events

Date Type Topic Attendees

9/4/2019 General Body Meeting GBM 1 – BMES Intro and Ice Cream Social 115

9/14/2019 Outreach Walk to Defeat ALS 12

9/16/2019 Professional Development Mock Interviews 12

9/18/2019 General Body Meeting GBM 2 - What to Expect (from BioE) 79

9/18/2019 Social Freshman Milkshake Factory Gathering 15

9/19/2019 Social Movie Nights*** 20

9/20/2019 Professional Development Philips Roundtable Mixer 10

9/22/2019 Social Kayaking on Pittsburgh’s North Shore 40

9/23/2019 Mentorship Mentorship Yoga Class 10

9/25/2019 Mentorship Mentorship Pair Kick-Off 80

9/25/2019 Professional Development Resume Reviews 7

9/27/2019 Professional Development Dinner with Industry 15

9/28/2019 Social Picnic with Carnegie Mellon Univ. BMES 30

10/1/2019 Mentorship Study Halls*** 10

10/2/2019 General Body Meeting GBM 3 - Summer Opportunities for BioE 55

10/16/2019 Professional Development BMES Conference 53

10/23/2019 General Body Mtg./Social GBM 4- Active Minds: Mental Health Presentation 27

Secretary Prof. Development Chair

President &

Vice-President

Business Manager Social Chair*

Freshman Rep. Public Relations Chair

Sophomore Rep. Outreach Chair*

Mentorship Chair Publicity Chair

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10/23/2019 Professional Development Undergraduate Research Symposium 12

10/25/2019 Social Kennywood Fright Night 30

10/28/2019 Professional Development Dinner with Professors 23

10/30/2019 General Body Meeting GBM 5- Halloween Costume Contest 29

11/2/2019 Social Sophomore Pinball Outing 7

11/6/2019 Mentorship Mentorship Trivia 10

11/11/2019 Outreach Girl Scouts Engineering Day 2

11/13/2019 General Body Meeting GBM 6- Post-Undergrad Panel 50

11/14/2019 Outreach SciTech School STEM Festival 4

11/17/2019 Outreach Girl Scouts Engineering Day 1

11/20/2019 Mentorship Mentorship Thanksgiving Feast 30

12/7/2019 Social Cozy Crafting 10

1/15/2020 General Body Meeting GBM 7- What to Expect (From BioE part 2) 42

1/20/2020 Outreach MLK Day of Service 3

1/22/2020 Mentorship Mentorship Pair Kickoff 35

1/29/2020 GBM GBM 8- Bioengineering Tracks Breakout Groups 24

2/1/2020 Social Freshman Escape Room 7

2/5/2020 Social Skiing 10*

2/5/2020 Social Intramural Volleyball*** 8

2/6/2020 Mentorship Mentorship Yoga 22

2/6/2020 Social Intramural Soccer*** 15

2/7/2020 Social Sophomore Ice Skating 12

2/8/2020 Outreach Elementary Engineering Extravaganza 3

2/11/2020 Professional Development Dinner with Professors 16

2/12/2020 General Body Meeting GBM 9- Co-op & Internship Panel 34

2/13/2020 Mentorship Valentine's Day Card Making 10

2/14/2020 Social Desserts with the Department 40

2/21/2020 Professional Development Industry Visits to Cook MyoSite & ZOLL 13

2/24/2020 Professional Development How to Talk Your Way into Your BioE Dream Job 15

2/27/2020 Professional Development 8th Annual Bioengineering Day 230

2/28/2020 Professional Development Industry Visits to Bayer & LivaNova 6

3/4/2020 General Body Meeting GBM 10- Executive Board Election Speeches 40

3/18/2020 Professional Development Dinner with Industry 30*

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3/20/2020 Social Bioengineering Formal 200*

3/21/2020 Professional Development Alumni Lunch 40*

3/24/2020 Mental Health Event Mental Health Event 25*

3/27/2020 Social Kickball Tournament with Professors 20*

4/5/2020 Mentorship Mentorship Brunch Potluck 40*

4/6/2020 Professional Development Virtual Medical School Panel 157**

4/7/2020 Social E-Yoga 10**

4/8/2020 Prof. Development, Social Fireside Chats 20**

4/13/2020 Social Bioengineering Cookout 200*

4/16/2020 Social Finals Family Feud 15

4/16/2020 Mentorship Virtual Job Forum 20**

4/29/2020 BMES/BioE Swag Spring & Fall Apparel 150

* anticipated attendance for event canceled due to COVID-19 or weather ** event occurred virtually due to COVID-19 *** weekly recurring events only listed once + Executive Board meetings were held weekly on Sunday evenings for 60-90 minutes

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E... Executive Board meeting agenda example

20 seconds- What you got up to last week &

plans for this week (BMES related)

Jesse:

• Created a BMES freshmen GroupMe Noah:

• Put alumni lunch info into spreadsheet

• Will be at Mentorship kickoff

Dani:

• Emailed Formal places • Surgery Observation is booked for September

17th next semester Claire: • Reached out to Oliver: willing to help plan med

school visit

• Reached out to Bayer for industry visit: good possibility they can host us, want to know

estimated Robert: • Set up dinner with professors & MLK Day Kenzie:

• Reached out to alumni

• Coordinated with Leah for BioE Day advertising Marlo:

• Paired people

• Tentatively set up a yoga event Jake:

• Sent newsletter

• Meeting with Design Hackathon Committee Kate:

• Contacted restaurants for Alumni Lunch Max: • Still need to organize Alumni contacts Hannah

• Sent out some feelers for Alumni Lunch venues

• Working on ZOLL days for Industry visits

Tyler

• Prepped for GBM

• Meeting for BioE Day

Tonight’s agenda (1/20/20)

Last week/ Just happened:

• Mentorship pairing

• Room reservations

• Meet with your committees

• MLK Day outreach

• Ice Skating

• Formal Event Quotes

This week

• Freshmen Event 1/31-2/1 • BioE Day meeting (Wednesday 1/22 1-2pm in

302K) • Mentorship Kickoff (Wednesday 1/22 8:30pm in

157)

• Invites for DwP (event on 2/11 from 5-7pm)

Next week (cover date, time, space)

• GBM: Bioengineering Tracks

• Skiing: 2/5/2020

• Industry Visit!

• Talk about apparel

Next Next week and beyond:

• Career Crash Course (week of 2/16)

• e-Week

• Bioengineering Formal

Notes for email:

• Intramurals starting in Feb (info in sign-ups)

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II. Treasury Report Prior to the start of the school year, Pitt BMES applies for financial support from Department of Bioengineering. Any new events that have not been supported in the past must be proposed and accepted by the department. The department has been generous and has provided BMES with the necessary resources to expand as an organization and initiate new programs without the need to fundraise or ask for funds from the national BMES organization. A. Financial Summary

Description

Past Budget FY18 (if

any)

Final Cost FY18

Past Budget FY19 (if

any)

Final Cost FY19

Budget Request Amount for FY20

(if any)

Final Cost FY20

Existing Commitment (prior dept. promises,

agreements, etc.)

Notes From 2019

Other/General:

GBM (x7) (Fall) 1,100.00 1,314.02 1,400.00 1,433.13 1,400.00 1,716.52 complete

reimbursement

GBM (x6) (Spring) 900.00 948.36 1,000.00 1,264.53 1,000.00 801.43 complete

reimbursement

Demo Upgrades - - 200.00 - 175.00 - complete

reimbursement Not completed

Social:

Cell Bio Cookies (Fall) 30.00 28.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 19.70

complete reimbursement

Dave and Busters (Spring)

600.00 700.00 700.00 882.64 700.00 partial reimbursement

$150 paid by students, $882.64 paid by department (total $1032.64)

Ice Cream Social (Fall)

- - - 41.59 40.00 72.00 complete

reimbursement

E-week (Spring) 300.00 32.76 50.00 - 40.00


BioE Seminar Picnic (Spring) 250.00 365.10 350.00 317.39 400.00


Ran out of food

Kayaking (Fall) 400.00 380.00 400.00 - 400.00 335.00 partial

reimbursement Event cancelled due to rain

Halloween Pumpkin Carving (Fall) 280.00 166.39 - 85.11 -


Holiday Party (Fall) - 28.97 40.00 101.97 100.00 21.13


Freshman Event (Spring) 50.00 50.00 - 250.00 200.00 200.00

partial reimbursement

Event was Archery Tag

Fall Event (Fall) - 200.00 200.00 206.50 200.00 115.37 partial

reimbursement Event was Break Room

Laser Tag (Spring) - 519.91 500.00 - -

partial reimbursement

BMES Formal (Spring)

- - - 880.00 900.00 partial reimbursement

$1880 paid by students, $880 paid by department (total $2760)

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Deserts with Professors (Spring)

- - - - -

144.08 complete

reimbursement

Outreach:

Fall 100.00 - 50.00 - 100.00 93.87 complete

reimbursement

Spring 100.00 32.36 50.00 - -


Mentorship:

Fall - - 100.00 - 350.00 250.92 complete

reimbursement

Spring - - 100.00 200.00 350.00 245.64 complete

reimbursement High attendance & only spring events were held

Professional Development:

Dinner with Professors (Fall) 700.00 434.95 500.00 444.94 500.00 554.24


Catered by Piada

Dinner with Professors (Spring) 700.00 326.35 500.00 326.35 500.00 514.73


Catered by Noodles & Co

Dinner with Industry (Fall) 900.00 865.00 900.00 643.48 800.00 712.50


Catered by Pelegrino's

Dinner with Industry (Spring) - - - 716.13 800.00


Catered by Buca di Beppo

Undergraduate and Alumni Mixer (Spring) 1,000.00 1,200.00 1,200.00 755.90 1,000.00


Event at Silk Elephant

Lab Fair (Fall) 200.00 186.72 200.00 171.94 - 263.75 complete

reimbursement Extremely low attendance

Breakfast with Borovetz (Fall) - - - 124.95 150.00


Catered by Einsteins

Two Travel Grants for Annual Meeting (Registration, Travel, and Hotel) (Fall)

1,000.00 1,000.00 1,000.00 1,000.00 1,000.00 1,000.00 complete

reimbursement

Totals: 8,610.00 8,778.89 9,470.00 9,876.55 11,135.00 7,060.88

EVENTS CANCELED DUE TO COVID-19

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III. Chapter Activities Pitt’s Biomedical Engineering Society strives to provide a community where

members can learn, grow and develop into their best selves as engineers and contributors to society. We aim to serve our peers by giving access to opportunities they may not otherwise have and by acting as a home base to those seeking a tight-knit community on a large university campus and in a demanding, high-stress major. To achieve this, we put on over 60 events this year for our members to participate in that included social events aimed at promoting comradery, mentorship events to boost community, outreach events to enhance awareness and empathy, and professional events to improve marketability and career opportunities. It should be noted that many of our end-of-the-year events were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the lists below, the events we had planned but needed to cancel are highlighted in green. The events we hosted instead are in blue.

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IV. Social Activities, General Body Meetings (GBMs), and Other Events Abstract

We pride ourselves on having a strong, family-like community within Pitt BMES. The key facilitators to this community vibe are the copious fun and engaging social events we have throughout the year that enable students to interact in casual, low-stress environments. We maintained many of our successful events from the past (GBMs, intramural teams, kayaking and holiday celebrations) and implemented more events targeted to underclassmen. We also introduced events regarding mental health, which we are hoping to make a more accessible, open topic in the coming semesters.

Event Date Attendance Audience Cost

GBM 1- Intro & Ice

Cream Social

9/4/2019 115 Undergraduate Engineering

Students

270.67

Description: The first GBM of the year is meant to introduce all Pitt BioEs to our organization and give

them information about who we are, what our goals are, what upcoming events we have planned,

and foster friendships between members to encourage future involvement. We also touched on some

experiences our members had over the summer. Generally speaking the event was a success and we

had a large turnout, but there were a few things to consider changing. The events list could be made

more concise, the end of the meeting could be more organized into an activity, perhaps.

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Freshman Milkshake Factory

Gathering

9/18/2019 15 BMES Freshmen

Members

0

Description: The goal of the event was to allow freshman engineers to meet other freshman

interested in bioengineering and BMES board members. The aim of this was to bolster future

freshman involvement in BMES. The event was successful in allowing freshman to socialize and learn

more about BMES. In the future more freshman events can be held to help retain involvement.


GBM 2 - What to Expect 9/18/2019 79 BMES Members 290.69

Description: Our 2nd GBM is designed to provide students with advice on their upcoming academic

year. This may include coursework, extracurriculars, and/or career opportunities. Upperclassmen and

alumni split into groups with younger students and may speak about their previous experiences and

give recommendations on how to succeed or open the floor for students to ask their own questions

regarding their greatest concerns. This event is always well-received, as students appreciate the

opportunity to speak honestly and openly with their peers and hear past students' struggles and their

recommendations for improvement.


Movie Nights 9/19/2019 20 BMES Members 0

Description: This event is targeted at all BioE students as a way to increase the community feeling and

provide students another study hall to seek help from others at. Overall, this event ran smoothly and

the students that attended shared that they had a great time.

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Kayaking 9/22/2019 40 BMES Members 335.00

Description: At the start of the last five fall semesters, we have gone kayaking in the Allegheny River.

The nice weather combined with the unique view of Pittsburgh makes kayaking a great social event

for new and old members to relax and socialize. The goal of the events is to foster an early social

relationship between BMES members and show new members that the our organization goes beyond

professional relationships. We take public transportation together and show younger members how

to navigate the greater Pittsburgh area.


GBM 4- Active Minds

Mental Health Talk

10/23/2019 27 Engineering Undergraduate

Students

278.92

Description: This event promoted mental health and mindfulness for students. The students who

attended said that the presentation was informative but they wished that the presentation was more

interactive and directed towards engineers. We had planned a more engineering-focused and

participant based event for the Spring but it was postponed due to the University closing.

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Kennywood Fright Nights 10/25/2019 30 BMES Members 0

Description: Club members met up at Kennywood for their annual Fright Nights. This event was

aimed at providing club members a way to have fun over Halloween weekend during the height of

midterms. Members had a lot of fun and would like it if BMEs organized it again next year.


GBM 5- Halloween 10/30/2019 29 BMES Members 115.37

Description: We carved pumpkins, had a costume contest, and listened to Halloween music. Everyone

reported having a good time and we did not have any criticism or recommendations to change

anything next year. We want to continue this tradition for following years.


Sophomore Pinball

Gathering

11/2/2019 7 BMES Sophomore

Members

0

Description: This event was aimed at allowing sophomore bioengineers to meet each other in a social

environment. Through this, we hope to increase sophomore involvement in BMES by making it a fun

experience for those involved. The attendees of the event were able to meet new bioengineers and

expressed a desire for similar events in the future. More sophomore events will be held with an

emphasis on trying to draw in more people.

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Cozy Crafting 12/7/2019 10 BMES Members 0

Description: This event was aimed at providing stress relief to BioE's during finals week by making

small, easy crafts. Event attendees were extremely happy with the event and said they would

definitely like to do it again.

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GBM 7 - What to Expect 1/15/2020 42 BMES Members 189.93

Description: Similarly to the 'What to Expect" GBM hosted in the fall, this GBM is designed to provide

students with advice on their upcoming semester. By this time, students have one semester out of

the academic year under their belts, so they are able to come prepared with questions and concerns.

Upperclassmen and alumni split into groups with younger students to speak about their previous

experiences and give recommendations on how to succeed. As this GBM takes place at the start of

the spring semester, one of the main topics of discussion revolves around summer semester

experiences. Student have the opportunity to ask questions about getting involved with upcoming

summer opportunities, and upperclassmen are always eager to provide guidance and speak to

summer semester programs in which that have previously participated.


GBM 8- Bioengineering Tracks 1/29/2020 30 BMES Members 171.04

Description: The goal of this GBM is to provide information and advice about the different

bioengineering tracks offered within the major, as well as pre-med advice. We had upperclassmen (1-

2) within each track and one pre-med group lead breakout groups where members could ask

questions about classes, post-grad plans, switching tracks, combining with minors, etc. Members

were encouraged to switch between groups within the room as they pleased to hear about the tracks

they were interested in. This event as usual was met with enthusiasm and lots of great questions and

discussion, with our only critique being that we need to order more pizza now that we have a bigger

board.


BMES Freshman Escape

Room

2/1/2020 7 BMES Freshmen

Members

268

Description: This event's goal was to get freshman together and network with each other. We had

seven freshman sign up and participate in this team building opportunity at Escape the Room. The

freshman really enjoyed it and requested we do it again.

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Intramural Volleyball 2/5/2020 10 BMES Members 0

Description: Pitt BMES created an intramural volleyball team through the University of Pittsburgh's

Department of Recreation. The goal of this team was to allow our members to engage in a fun activity

while creating and strengthening connections with bioengineering students. The soccer team brought

in an array of students from different classes and fostered a great atmosphere. Students greatly

enjoyed being able to form new friendships and competing as a part of Pitt BMES. The club plans to

continue creating intramural volleyball teams in the future as it has been a large success.

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Intramural Soccer 2/6/2020 15 BMES Members 0

Description: Pitt BMES created an intramural soccer team through the University of Pittsburgh's

Department of Recreation. The goal of this team was to allow our members to engage in a fun activity

while creating and strengthening connections with bioengineering students. The soccer team brought

in an array of students from different classes and fostered a great atmosphere. Students greatly

enjoyed being able to form new friendships and competing as a part of Pitt BMES. The club plans to

continue creating intramural soccer teams in the future as it has been a large success.


Sophomore Ice Skating 2/7/2020 12 BMES Sophomore

Members

0

Description: This event gathered together a group of sophomore bioengineers to go ice skating at a

local ice rink. The goal of the event was to help foster a sense of community within the sophomore

BioE class and increase future sophomore involvement in Pitt BMES. The event received very positive

feedback. Those who went enjoyed getting to meet new people in a fun environment. Attendees

requested that similar events be held in the future and Pitt BMES aims to do so.


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Desserts with the

Department

2/14/2020 40 BMES Members and

faculty

144.08

Description: DwD wanted to give students and professors the opportunity to socialize in a sweet way.

We had candies, fruit and marshmallows to go with the a chocolate fountain! We hosted this in the

Bioengineering Makerspace and it was an overwhelming success. We'll be sure to run something

similar next year.


GBM 10- Elections GBM 3/4/2020 40 BMES Members 239.58

Description: This general body meeting was held for election speeches. Candidates running for board

positions delivered a 3 minute speech to outline their platform and discuss their

involvement/commitment to BMES. There were 11 students running for 7 positions. After the

meeting, we sent members a voting form with platform summaries from each candidate. In the

future, we want to extend the elections to include committee positions.


Bioengineering Formal 3/20/2020 200 BMES Members and friends 900 (budgeted)

Description: BioE Formal is a fantastic way for students to get off campus and enjoy socializing with

one another in a fun environment. After a very well-received inaugural event in 2019, 2020's Formal

was going to be even bigger & better and was set to be at a rooftop bar in Pittsburgh. This will

definitely happen next year!

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Kickball Tournament with

Profs

3/27/2020 20 BMES Members and

faculty

0

Description: This event was intended to foster BioE students' inner competitiveness and camaraderie

with professors. This, or something like it, will happen next year!


E-Yoga 4/7/2020 10 BMES Members 0

Description: We hosted a virtual yoga session to provide members with an opportunity to

relax/exercise amid social distancing recommendations. The session was taught by a local community

college instructor through Zoom. Those who attended followed along with a variety of stretches and

exercises. The session concluded with a group meditation. The event encouraged physical

productivity and mental relaxation during an unexpected transition to online classes.


Bioengineering

Cookout

4/13/2020 200 Bioengineering students and

faculty

400

(budgeted)

Description: For the last bioengineering department seminar, BMES hosts a cookout. We bring a grill to

the courtyard of the engineering building and cook approximately 200 burgers and 200 hot dogs. We

also bring corn-hole, hacky sacks, and ladder toss for additional recreation/entertainment. The event is

designed to be a celebration of the end of the semester. Professors and students come to eat food and

talk in a relaxed environment.


Fireside Chats 4/8/2020 30 BMES Members 0

Description: In the face of the ongoing situation regarding COVID-19, we received feedback from professors about their concern for their students and how they were handling this transition. We decided to create a Fireside Chats program, where professors have the opportunity to host talks via Zoom about a chosen interest topic. Members can attend to have the chance to socialize and bond with professors outside of a classroom setting. We had 3 chats with 3 different professors, on topics ranging from travel and Europe to trends in speculative fiction. These events had spectacular turnout and were very well received. Both students and professors appreciated the human interaction during the crises.

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V. Inter-chapter Activities Abstract Pitt BMES recognized the benefits of developing relationships with nearby bioengineering students, not only to build our professional networks, but also to spurn friendships. In an attempt to facilitate this, we hosted our first joint event with CMU’s

BMES in several years. Moving forward, we hope to work not only with CMU, but Duquesne and West Virginia University, as well.


Picnic with Carnegie Mellon University BMES

9/28/2019 30 BMES Members from Pitt and CMU

0

Description: This event was meant to develop a connection between the Pitt and CMU BMES clubs. We played volleyball, drank tea, and played croquet while bonding over BioE. Those who attended the event gave lots of positive feedback and want to hold the event again next year in Schenley Park.

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VI. Outreach Activities Abstract

Our chapter strives to be involved with outreach in our community with students of all ages. We continued to participate in STEM fests and outreach events that we were invited to by Carnegie Science Center, Pittsburgh Science and Technology, and the Society of Women Engineers. With several activities, including a 3D printed thumb prosthesis, a microscope with animal tissue slides, and model lungs, we taught students about microscopy, ergonomics, and how engineering principles apply to the world of medicine. Outreach events are a great way to encourage and excite young students into STEM fields, and for our members to get excited as well! We hope to incorporate new activities, like a 3D-printed prosthetic limb, into our repertoire as we increase our presence in the local community.


Walk to Defeat ALS 9/14/2019 12 BMES Members 0

Description: The Walk to Defeat ALS is a fundraising event organized by the ALS Association of Western Pennsylvania. Our club members volunteered at registration, care services, and catering - all contributing towards helping the event run more smoothly. Volunteers also had the opportunity to meet with ALS patients and caregivers, as well as local medical device companies that work with the ALS population. The ALS Association was impressed with our volunteers and asked that we return next year. The event raised over 500k for ALS research and care services.

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Girl Scout Engineering Day 1 11/11/2019 2 BMES Members 0

Description: We attended to expose visiting girl scouts to STEM and bioengineering through interactive demonstrations. Demonstrations included PAC-MAN Makey Makey, balloon lungs, and the EKG poster. The students enjoyed the PAC-MAN Makey Makey the most. It was very crowded at times on the ground floor of the engineering building, but that hardly takes away from the overall positive experience.


SciTech STEM Festival 11/14/2019 4 BMES Members 0

Description: The purpose of this event was to expose SciTech students to bioengineering and garner an interest in the subject through interactive presentations. Many students enjoyed the presentations, especially the demonstration involving Makey Makey.

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Girl Scouts Engineering Day 2 11/17/2019 1 BMES Members 0

Description: The purpose of this event was to expose girl scouts to bioengineering and garner an interest in the subject through interactive presentations. Many students enjoyed the presentations, especially the demonstration involving Makey Makey.


MLK Day of Service 1/20/2020 3 BMES Members 0

Description: The purpose of this event was to expose young students from Faison Elementary School to bioengineering and garner an interest in the subject through interactive presentations. Many students enjoyed the presentations, especially the demonstration involving Makey Makey. This was a very fun event to take part in. Food was provided for volunteers, and the hosts were very nice.


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Elementary Engineering Extravaganza 2/8/2020 3 BMES Members 0

Description: The purpose of this event was to expose elementary students to bioengineering and garner an interest in the subject through interactive presentations. Many students enjoyed the presentations, especially the demonstration involving Makey Makey.

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VII. Mentoring Mentorship was one of the major focuses of our club again this year. We

began a mentorship program in 2018 that, in its first year, included over 90 undergraduate bioengineering students. The program was designed to match one upper and lower classmen with similar interests together. Each program participant filled out a survey based on academic, professional and personal preferences before being manually matched with their mentor/mentee by our Mentorship Chair.

We encouraged interactions between mentors (Juniors and Seniors) and their mentees (Freshmen and Sophomores) by hosting regular events specific to the mentorship program. We gave out a Mentorship Pair of the Month award that could be voted on by program participants. This program, even in its infancy, has been exponentially more successful than any previous attempts at a mentorship program. This year, our program had over 160 participants that made up over 70 mentor/mentee pairs (some mentors had multiple mentees). In addition to the many events for our mentorship pairs, we also organized a year-long, city-wide scavenger hunt that awarded winning pairs with Pitt BMES merchandise and bragging rights. The ratio of mentorship event attendees to program participants may seem low, but this number does not speak to the high consistency of attendees, particularly freshmen and sophomores that our program has not had in the past. Additionally, our Mentorship Chair facilitated a GroupMe group chat included all of the program members and was a rich source of interaction and information for younger students with questions and older students with wisdom and experience.

We believe our mentorship program, in its second year of existence, is second to none in the country based on the incredible volume of involvement and interactions between peers. The mentorship program is the keystone to our organization and is what exemplifies the best of what we do at Pitt BMES.


Mentorship Yoga Class 9/23/2019 10 BMES Members 0

Description: The event was intended to introduce members of the mentorship program to stress relief through yoga.

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Mentorship Pair Kick-Off 9/25/2019 80 BMES Members 109.9

Description: This meeting was the first event after new mentorship pairs were formed. The purpose was for students to meet their mentorship pairs, and to provide updates on the program for the fall semester.


Mentorship Study Halls 10/1/2019 10 BMES Members 0

Description: This was a reoccurring weekly study hall. The purpose was to give mentorship program members a consistent time and place to do homework or socialize.


Mentorship Trivia 11/6/2019 20 BMES Members 0

Description: This was a social event intended to bring program members together. There was a lower than usual attendance due to the timing of the event with a stressful week of courses.


Mentorship Thanksgiving Feast 11/20/2019 30 BMES Members 90.03

Description: This was a social event for mentorship program members to enjoy a

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Thanksgiving potluck dinner together. This event was well received by those in attendance. Potlucks tend to have plenty of food and students enjoy the family aspect.


Mentorship Pair Kickoff 1/22/2020 35 BMES Members 145.64

Description: The purpose of this event is to introduce new mentor/mentee pairs with each other, and also have existing members gather after the break. We played Kahoot! games to bond and everyone had fun.


Mentorship Study Halls 1/29/2020 10 BMES Members 0

Description: This is a weekly gathering for mentorship program members to eat food, do homework, socialize and ask questions in the engineering building. With the impact of COVID-19, the study halls became virtual on Zoom and occurred 2-3 times per week.


Mentorship Yoga 2/6/2020 22 BMES Members 0

Description: The purpose of this event was to introduce members to yoga as a stress relief strategy. Many students tried yoga for the first time, and enjoyed how relaxed they felt afterwards. We hope to do this event once a month in the Fall.


Valentine's Day Card Making 2/13/2020 10 BMES Members 0

Description: The purpose of this event is to make valentine's day cards for our academic coordinator to express our gratitude. This is a feel good event that people love to do.


Mentorship Brunch Potluck 4/5/2020 20 BMES Members 0

Description: Due to the effects of COVID-19 we were unable to have this event. The purpose is to have a gathering with members to bond and celebrate the ending of the school year.

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Finals Family Feud 4/16/2020 15 BMES Members 0

Description: This event was intended to provide a fun respite from the stresses of finals week. We've done similar events for midterms and finals in the past and we'll continue doing them in the future!

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VIII. Industry & Professional Development Abstract

Our other major focus as a BMES chapter is to provide students with opportunities that allow professional growth. To provide new perspectives on bioengineering (BioE), we host events with professionals of various career paths to explore the breadth of our degree. We continued hosting previously successful events, such as Dinner with Industry and visits to local biomedical engineering companies. We adapted our previously hosted lab fair to be focused on undergraduate poster presentations and directed the focus of many of our general body meetings towards professional development and networking within the students.

We also have very strong ties to the regional and national biotechnology sectors and have bolstered our students’ interactions with them in the past year. We hosted over a dozen companies on our campus this year, many of which attended our marquee Bioengineering Career Fair in the Fall and 8th Annual Bioengineering Day in the Spring.


Mock Interviews 9/16/2019 12 BMES Members 0

Description: Mock interviews are run by professors within the Bioengineering department and are designed to prepare students for questions that may be asked during a job interview, allowing the student to improve upon their communication skills. Feedback from students suggested that interviews with Industry reps may be more beneficial than interviews with professors, as the professors may not be able to provide as much helpful information on current Industry norms. As such, future directions include the incorporation of more diverse Interviewers: Industry reps, previous MD admissions committee members, etc. This past year we had a total of 12 students schedule interviews with professors; we hope that with the expansion of possible Interviewers, we can encourage more students to take advantage of this opportunity next year.


Philips Mixer 9/20/2019 10 BMES Members 0

Description: Professional development with Philips Healthtech Advanced Innovation group. Regular event that people always enjoy. Philips provides food and drinks and has their engineers available for casual mingling and conversation.


Resume Reviews 9/25/2019 7 BMES Members 0

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Description: Resume reviews were held with different professors in the bioengineering department to assist students in professional development. This event was structured as a walk-in hour to allow for more students to be able to attend. Students that attended for resume feedback were all upperclassmen. We did not have as high of a turnout as we had hoped. Future directions include inviting a broader array of professors and scheduling with known student commitments in mind, as well as making an effort to reach out more to underclassmen.


Bioengineering Career Fair

9/27/2019 150 Bioengineering Undergrad & Graduate students

0 (Department’s

direct budget)

Description: The BioE Career Fair was intended to provide job opportunities specifically tailored to bioengineering students. After finding that the University’s Career Fair largely

neglected opportunities for students in our major, we decided to host our own event! This year, we hosted 11 companies (including Medtronic, Stryker, Bayer, and Abbott Labs). Companies were marketing co-op, internship, and full-time opportunities and had time during and after the event to hold on-site interviews, many of which have led to students being hired. This event was a resounding success, and we have plans to host 20 companies next year.

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Dinner with Industry 9/27/2019 15 BMES Members 712.5

Description: The Dinner with Industry event was held in the evening following the Bioengineering Career Fair. This event serves as a way for students and industry representatives to network and get to know each other in a more relaxed environment. We received positive feedback regarding the ratio of students to representatives and quality of conversations. In the future we will consider having this event on a different day from the Career Fair to avoid overloading representatives.


GBM 3 - Summer Opportunities 10/2/2019 55 BMES Members 292.33

Description: This GBM was meant to provide guidance and inspiration for any summer plans our members are interested in pursuing. We had board representatives lead breakout Q and A sessions for each general area: research at Pitt, research at home, study abroad, internships, and other life activities or volunteer opportunities. The turnout for the junior class was lower than we hoped for, but overall the conversations each group had were productive. This GBM is one we plan to do again next year.

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BMES Conference 10/16/2019 53 BMES Members 1000

Description: Board members and club members attended BMES conference to present research, learn about other BMES chapters, engage in professional development, and to have fun! Event was successful. People enjoyed the conference and got a lot out of it, per usual. Two students received travel grants from our chapter, many more were funded by the BioE Department for presenting research, and three of the board members were funded to go through Student Government Board.


Research Symposium

10/23/2019 12 Engineering Undergraduate Students

263.75

Description: The Research Symposium offers students an opportunity to present their research findings and improve both their presentation and communication skills. Additionally, the symposium offers underclassmen an opportunity to hear about ongoing research at Pitt and discover labs in which they may like to work. Presenters may win cash prizes; attending underclassmen vote under the following categories: Best Elevator Pitch, Best Visuals, and Best Poster Design. Unfortunately, attendance this year was low and it was difficult to get presenter to sign up. Future directions include increased advertisement, earlier signups, and perhaps a better venue or area with more foot-traffic.

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Dinner with Professors 10/28/2019 23 BMES Members 554.24

Description: Dinner with Professors serves as a way for students to get to know their professors in a more relaxed setting outside of the classroom. Student feedback for this event was positive; students collectively found this event to be enjoyable and valuable. In the future we will submit a room request through facilities and take more care with catering for those with allergies.


GBM 6- Post-Undergrad Panel 11/13/2019 50 BMES Members 278.91

Description: The post-undergrad panel is an opportunity for students to interact with recent Pitt

Bioengineering graduates. The panel includes students in graduate school (PhD, Masters, MD) and

students in industry. We begin the event with a set of prepared questions that all panelists answer.

Then, we break into specific groups for students to ask questions in a more intimate environment.

The event forges connections between current undergrads and graduates for future jobs and other

career opportunities.

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Dinner with Professors 2/11/2020 16 BMES Members 514.73

Description: Dinner with Professors is an event we host each semester as a great opportunity for students to get to know professors outside of the classroom. This event serves as a casual networking opportunity. We received positive feedback from students and professors. In the future we could encourage students to come prepared with questions and contact professors afterward, introduce all of the professors in attendance at the start of the event, and continue growing by planning more casual networking events with professors.


GBM 9- Co-op/Internship Panel 2/12/2020 34 BMES Members 200.08

Description: For this GBM, we wanted to provide an opportunity for our members to learn about the

co-op and internship experiences among our upperclassmen. We formed a panel of 5 guests who had

work experience, ranging from ventilator manufacturing to genomics R&D. They spoke on the

application process, lessons learned, and gave advice on finding and securing a work experience.

Students enjoyed the panel, and asked that we hold a similar event next year.


Industry Visit to Cook MyoSite & ZOLL 2/21/2020 13 BMES Members 0

Description: Industry visits offer a great opportunity for students to learn about the job positions available to them, as well as expand their professional network. Students visited Pittsburgh companies ZOLL LifeVest and Cook Myosite. While visiting these companies, students toured the facilities and had the chance to speak with senior engineers to learn about

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job responsibilities and company culture. Overall, students appreciated the opportunity to learn about local job opportunities available to them and enjoyed seeing two very different examples of biomedical companies. Attendance may increase if visits are better advertised. Additionally, many students were only interested in touring companies that were explicit regarding job openings. In the future, board members should collect information from the company regarding job openings and preferred method of resume and application submission, etc.


How to Talk Your Way into Your Bioengineering Dream Position

2/24/2020 15 BMES Members

0

Description: One of Pitt’s Engineering Career Counselors came to talk about elevator pitches.

The event went well and was generally a short event. Good in that it forced people to think about how they talk about themselves to employers. The event gave positive exposure to the Career Center. Students were glad the event occurred because it made them more aware of career resources on campus. We will continue to collaborate with the Career Center for events like Resume Reviews, Mock Interviews, and LinkedIn workshops in the future!


8th Annual Bioengineering Day

2/27/2020 240 Undergrad and Graduate Engineering Students from Pitt, CMU and Duquesne

0 (Department’s

direct budget)

Description: BioE Day showcases the ongoing research and innovation in biotechnology in the Pittsburgh region. Industry representatives from area companies served as panelists and networking event participants. Students from area universities presented research and Senior Design projects to attendees. Our goals for next year include increasing industry & graduate-level participation, as well as further collaboration with area schools.

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Industry Visit to Bayer & LivaNova 2/28/2020 6 BMES Members 0

Description: Industry visits are a great way for students to learn more about specific companies as well as daily life as an engineer working in industry. Students can go on tours of facilities, learn about each company's products, and have the opportunity to network with engineering professionals. We received positive feedback from students. In the future we can be clearer to students to avoid cancelling once they have signed up and build upon our beginning efforts to have communication regarding internship/co-op/employment opportunities available at visits.


Dinner with Industry 3/18/2020 30 BMES Members 800 (budgeted)

Description: We host a Dinner with Industry event each semester as an opportunity for students to network with engineering professionals in a more relaxed setting than career fairs or interviews. Students can also learn more about bioengineering companies and daily life as a working engineer. Unfortunately, this event was cancelled this semester. In the future we can encourage students to come prepared with questions, ask for representatives' contact information to continue networking, and introduce all industry professionals in attendance at the start of the event.


Virtual Med School Panel 4/6/2020 15 BMES Members 0

Description: Due to the inability to host our medical school student panel at Pitt, we set out to host the event virtually. This panel served as a way for bioengineering students with an interest in going into medicine to ask questions in a casual setting. Pitt bioengineering alumni currently attending a variety of medical programs tuned in for the event including MD students, a DO student, and an MD-PhD student. Students discussed topics including the application process, panelists' experiences, and work-life balance. We received positive feedback from students.

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Alumni Lunch 3/21/2020 40 BMES Members 1000 (budgeted)

Description: The Alumni Lunch was designed to give our current undergraduate BioE students an opportunity to meet BioE graduates so that they could establish connections, learn about future career options, and engage within an open, relaxed environment where students can feel comfortable asking questions. Unfortunately, the social distancing mandated by COVID-19 necessitated the canceling of this event. Going forward, we will also supplement our Alumni Lunch with smaller, more frequent Alumni Mixers.


Virtual Job Forum 4/16/2020 20 BMES Members 0

Description: Platform for seniors to talk to underclassmen about what their job search experience was like, and how they found positions. This event was well received and had a lot of questions, including long after the event ended.

A. Other Initiatives and Activities Beyond professional development, social, and outreach events, we round

out our organization with a variety of other activities. We further developed events that we ran in previous years, spreading the word about BMES at our Pitt Activities Fair and our student/alumni blog. Keeping our members involved and welcoming new members was a constant effort, and participating in activities fairs, posting a blog, and being a presence on social media helped increase our public relations.

This year, our new Publicity Chair revived our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter feeds. Our upgraded email system (MailChimp) has continued allowing us to more effectively send customized, directed emails to our members. Check out our social media to see a ton of our content!

Website: https://www.pittbmes.com/

Instagram: @PittBMES

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PittBMES

Twitter: @Pitt_UG_BMES

BioE Day: www.bioeday.com

https://www.pittbmes.com/

https://www.facebook.com/PittBMES

http://www.bioeday.com/

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IV. BMES Annual Meeting Our bioengineering department advocated for undergraduate abstract submissions and required all those who were pursuing research internships in the summer to apply to present at the National Meeting. The BMES board wanted to provide a way for some students to go to experience the event, even if their abstract was not accepted. We applied for and received two travel grants funded by our Department of Bioengineering and were able to give two students the opportunity to attend and explore different areas of research and medical development. BME students from Pitt attend the Annual Meeting every year. We’ve seen record

participation recently, with 67 undergraduate Pitt students having presented research at Atlanta in 2018 and 48 presenters at Philadelphia in 2019. In addition to these attendees, our club budgets to send two additional students to the conference free of charge and also has been able to request funds from the University’s Student

Government board to cover registration and transportation costs for two board members who are not presenting research. Not only is the Annual Meeting a great camaraderie boost for participants, it offers an incredible number of opportunities to grow professionally. Our students routinely learn about related research, relevant graduate programs and interesting possible career paths. As a student chapter of BMES, the most informative and relevant part of the conference is the BMES Student Chapter Best Practices session. All of our present board members are required to attend and learn from the best in the country. After attending three consecutive Best Practice sessions as a member of our executive board, it is evident that we draw inspiration from them every year. Our mentorship program has come directly from what we’ve learned from presentations given in this session, as have some of our professional events like Dinner with Industry and our new executive board structure that includes committees. Moving forward, we plan to help encourage and send as many students as possible to attend the Annual Meeting. As an executive board of a student chapter, we will continue to attend and learn from the Best Practices session. It is our goal to be one of the presenting chapters at this upcoming Annual Meeting. Pitt’s undergraduate BMES chapter has never presented or been awarded at previous meetings.

Our 7 Executive Board members at the BMES Annual Meeting in Philadelphia.

V. Future Directions This year marked major improvements and signs of success for our undergraduate

chapter of Pitt BMES. We increased our mentorship efforts, developed our own department-specific career fair, more student/professor events, and increased our number of social events. However, there is much room for us to grow as an organization. We have several goals in the upcoming 2020-2021 school year including: developing resources for our peers on the pre-med track, developing our relationship and interactions with the graduate BMES chapter, and bolstering our community outreach work.

A. Pre-Med Resources

i. We have done a lot of work in recent years to further develop our industry-related career opportunities. One gap that we’ve identified is that of career-specific opportunities for BME students on a pre-med track. With 20-30% of each graduating BME class planning to apply to medical school, we are missing a large target audience. We plan on having more expert panels to discuss different post-grad routes, as well as facilitating shadowing opportunities at our local world-class healthcare institutions.

B. Graduate School Relations i. Again, our club has made a lot of progress on our industry relations in the

last couple of years, but students looking to learn more about graduate school and degree programs have not been provided all of the resources that they could be. We are hoping to work more directly with the Graduate BMES chapter here at Pitt, as well as with BME alumni who have taken different graduate school paths to better inform our undergraduate students.

C. Community Outreach

i. Our community outreach program has been steady over the last few years, working mainly the same events put on by the same organizations (SWE, SciTech). We would like to see ourselves branch out to other forms of service (volunteering, tutoring, etc.). We think we can do this by networking with other campus organizations to partner with some of their initiatives or develop relationships with outside organizations on our own.

D. 9th Annual Bioengineering Day i. This will be another one of the ways undergrad and grad BMES will work

together next year. We plan to distribute the workload more appropriately in planning/organizing the event and incorporate new features to increase engagement within and outside of Pitt BioE. Hopefully, more students from regional schools (CMU, Duquesne, WVU) can be involved, we can showcase more university research and learn more about corporate innovations in the Pittsburgh area.

chapter development report - bmes

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