The Department of Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Student Advisory Committee’s 3rd annual leadership retreat gave students opportunities to learn and think about what it takes to be a leader and to consider topics such as diversity, vision, core values, initiative, teamwork, problem solving, and lifelong learning. The event was held in the Warnock Engineering Building on Saturday, September 14th from 10am -1pm.
The event was initiated by Professor Steven Poelzing, now at Virginia Tech Carilon School of Medicine and Research Institute, formerly with the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute (CVRTI) of the University of Utah – in collaboration with Heather Palmer, our department Academic Advisor and Undergraduate Program coordinator. Steven and Heather met regularly with BME undergraduates and challenged them to start the specific career development programs that they wanted.
About 75 students participated in the retreat this year. Starting with a breakfast mixer provided by the department, students had an opportunity to meet with the invited speakers: Jill Baeder, Associate Director of the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program at the U, Burt Bunnell, founder of Bunnell Inspired Infant Care, former chair of the department’s Industrial Advisory board and strong supporter of the department’s undergraduate biomedical engineering program, and Dr. Glenn Prestwich, Presidential Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Special Assistant to the President for faculty entrepreneurism. Each speaker was assigned a topic by the student organizers. Several department professors participated, including Kelly Broadhead, Robert Hitchcock, Rick Rabbitt, and Patrick Tresco, department chair.