2015 Marks 10 Year Anniversary of First Undergraduate Class

It’s hard to believe it will be 10 years since our first undergraduate class graduated, a proud moment for all of us. In the beginning, as with any new adventure, it took us a while to get our feet wet, but we had the perfect group of students to work with. They were only 20 in number, but very impressive.

Our small size allowed for us to get to know one another. Each student was gifted in their own right and all shared the excitement of being ‘the first BIOE class.’ Most of them volunteered to help out with events going on within the department and to promote bioengineering to future students. It’s hard not to sound biased, but our students seemed to rise above - talk about your over-achievers. There were 17 students who graduated with a bachelor's in bioengineering in May 2005. Out of those 17, four became doctors and one a dentist. One young lady graduated with a doctorate in biological engineering from M.I.T. and is currently researching how osteoarthritis pain develops. Another young man secured a position right after graduation with a company in Pittsburgh. He manages a sprayable, enzyme-based formulation that detects chemical warfare agents on surfaces, which is currently being field tested by the U S Army. Our first ever Bioengineering Spirit Award recipient received a doctorate in bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania and works as a post doc in the lab of one of the most recognized stem cell biologists in the country. She continues to spread her infectious spirit as a coach training athletes in Philadelphia.

It's an impressive group and these are just a few of the students we have managed to touch base with. Check back for snippets and tidbits about their careers in the future.

We certainly want to celebrate this 10-year milestone and what better way to do it than by celebrating our first ever alumni reunion in July 2015. In the coming weeks and months you will receive a ‘save the date’ card announcing the reunion. We are hoping that many, if not all, of you will be able to join us. Please send your updated information in. We look forward to welcoming you back to your BIOE roots. Spread the word and plan on joining all of us next July 2015 at Penn State.

 -Carol Boring, Undergraduate/Graduate Staff Assistant