2020-2021 Student Chapter Award Winners
Statement from the BMES Student Affairs Subcommittee
The Student Affairs Subcommittee, with the help of our 48 independent reviewers, have selected eight outstanding Student Chapters to receive awards for their 2020-2021 efforts.
We had a record number of Chapter Development Reports submitted this year -- The Student Affairs Subcommittee is excited to see all the work being accomplished by our student chapters in communities around the world and we encourage you to continue this work for the 2021-2022 year.
Outstanding Chapter Award
This year’s Outstanding Chapter Award goes to Tecnologico de Monterrey BMES, led by chapter president Daniel Angus Hernandez Gallegos.
Perseverance is the name of this chapter, and with an average score of 137.7, Tec De Monterrey demonstrated their ability to preserve the hardships presented by COVID-19 by rising to claim the Outstanding Chapter Award.
Creating a BMES/STEM podcast, hosting virtual networking sessions, boosting morale with a virtual pet, and hosting a symposium dubbed BioEnetix which was available for all BMES chapter members to participate in, this chapter swung it out of the park.
Congratulations to every member of the Tecnologico de Monterrey's chapter!
Outstanding High School Chapter Award
With 104.2 points, this new award goes to the chapter at Pine View High School, led by the chapter co-presidents Ray Min and Sonica Prakash.
Pine View was the second high school in the nation to have a BMES High School Student Chapter and has since worked tirelessly to become a team ready to impact the world through biomedical engineering. By volunteering at local hospitals and labs, they were able to remain engrossed in the world of BME -- despite the limitations set upon them by COVID-19. In adition, PVbmes leveraged technology to host networking events, interview Industry professionals, and conduct academic research amongst their members.
Congratulations, Pine View High School, for your dedication and success!
Commendable Achievement Award
The 2020 Commendable Achievement Award goes to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, led by chapter president Caroline Fatina.
The race for the Outstanding Award was a tight one! With 133.6 points, UIUC came in second, earning them the coveted Commendable Achievement Award. By focusing on providing networking opportunities with local industry, career development seminars, and adopting an entirely virtual mindset, they proved that a chapter can pivot and still achieve greatness.
Congratulations to members of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Outstanding Outreach Award
Scoring a record total of 30.3 points, this year’s awardee for the Outstanding Outreach Award goes to the University of California, Los Angeles, led by chapter president Linnet Chang.
UCLA's members found their passion for STEM in their K-12 years; they took the opportunity to give back to underserved communities through their RISE program, while raising funds to donate to local food banks.
Thank you to the students at the University of California, Los Angeles for your devotion to your community!
Outstanding Mentoring Program Award
With a total of 25.8 points, the chapter winning the Outstanding Mentoring Program Award is Ohio State University, led by their co-presidents Arnav Divekar and Aneesh Zutshi.
Ohio State's mentoring program was essential to help underclassmen navigate networking, online classes, and adjusting to a COVID-19 educational experience. By choosing inclusive events that relied on social interactions, they encouraged independent meet-ups and demonstrated the importance of their program to participating members, rending it a complete sucess!
Thank you, Ohio State University, for your dedication to the future of BME!
Outstanding Chapter-Industry Program Award
With 27 points, the winner of this outstanding award goes to The University of Maryland, led by chapter president Marisa Patsy.
UMD focused on encouraging students to explore the field of BME by hosting lecture series of Bioengineering Professions outside of academia, pivoting to virtual lab tours in light of COVID-19, and hosting numerous networking and professional development events.
Congratulations to The University of Maryland for your success with local BME Industry.
Outstanding Societal Impact Program Award
With 28.0 points, the student chapter winning the Outstanding Societal Impact Award is the chapter at the University of California - Irvine, led by the chapter president Raphael Francis
In a year overlaid with obstacles, UCIrvine, tackled real-life medical issues in their community by emphasizing innovation. They broke out into multiple teams to design and compete at the Medtronic Design Competition in 2020. Those teams also sought to develop a year-long program for medical device creation based on community needs; it is clear UCIrvine they have the future health of humanity on their minds.
Thank you, University of California - Irvine, for your dedication to the community outside of BME!
Outstanding Up and Coming Program Award
With 59.5 points, the winner of the Outstanding Up and Coming Award, available only to chapters within one calendar year of their creation, is the chapter at St. Michaels Middle/High School, led by the chapter president JT Lizewski.
St. Michaels established their chapter during one of the worst years in recent history -- during a global pandemic and the systemic lockdown of academia. Yet, despite this obvious roadblock, they used this as an opportunity to begin fundraising, outlining leadership responsibilities, conducting virtual labs, and hosting speakers from various positions in industry and academia around the country.
Your dedication to enriching your community is fantastic. Thank you St. Michaels Middle/High School for leading by example!
Chapter Travel Award Winners
We selected three chapters for the Chapter Travel Award due to the tenacity and growth they displayed as a chapter during the 2020-2021 school year. The awardees will receive $2,000 for chapter travel assistance to attend the 2021 BMES Annual Meeting.
Congratulations to:
