What activities were you involved in as a student and what did you gain from them?

I was active as both a fraternity brother and a Yellow-jacket. Both of these organizations led to amazing experiences and lasting friendships. Additionally, working with these groups helped develop skills that have been an asset in the working world, such as working as a team, conducting effective meetings, and managing the relationships and politics of the business world.

What resources did you use on campus that you recommend current students use?

UR’s career center is a great resource that is under utilized by undergraduates. The résumé and interview coaching resources are stellar, but the career center especially shines in helping students identify their talents and aspirations. I recommend students go early and often in their undergraduate careers. It’s essential for students to prioritize this area of their education in conjunction with their class work.

Who were your mentors while you were on campus? Have you continued those relationships?

It was my manner to seek help and advice from other students more than from the staff and educators at the university. I encourage students to reach out and connect with their professors and other university staff, but remember that the greatest resource available is often their peers.

What do you do now and why did you choose this career?

I’m currently an analyst for KJT Group in Honeoye Falls, NY. KJT Group is an evidence-based consulting firm, and we focus on market research primarily in the healthcare industry. Much of my work involves pricing and forecast modeling for pharmaceutical products, but I also do many analyses to better understand brand relationships and marketing opportunities.

What skills, tools, or knowledge from your major have been most useful to you since graduation?

Surprisingly, study skills and note taking have been far more valuable than I would have expected. While much of the statistics I learned at UR serves as a base for my current work, nearly everything I do requires additional and continuing study to expand my capabilities and keep pace with emerging techniques. Similarly, critical and analytical thinking skills learned at UR have played a much larger role in my current work that any specific topic of study.

How do you balance your work and personal life?

I’m fortunate to work for a company that strives for solid work-life balance. Occasionally, long hours are required, but efforts to stay happy and healthy during lighter weeks makes excelling during the difficult weeks far more achievable—it’s often a rewarding experience to come together as a team and really crush a project. I also try to make sure my life outside of work is active. I think it’s important to keep pushing yourself to stay social and find activities you’re passionate about.

Where would you like to be in five years?

One of the advantages of working for a small company is the opportunity to wear multiple hats. In five years, I would like to expand my responsibilities beyond analytics and have a role influencing the business decisions of the company.

What advice do you have for current students?

Keep exploring opportunities, for fresh, unique experiences are abundant in college, and taking advantage of them leads to an extremely rewarding experience. Once you’re out of college, keep that exploration in mind. The responsibilities that accompany a career, family, and home can quickly marginalize your passions. Make it a priority to keep trying new things, meeting new people, and pursuing the things you love.

When and how did you choose your major?

When I entered college, I was an undecided engineering major.  I had been interested in the medical side of math and science since middle school.  However, I kept my options open, taking various engineering, social science, and humanities classes, until I declared biomedical engineering at the end of my sophomore year.

Who were your mentors while you were on campus? Have you continued those relationships?

As an undecided engineering major, I was assigned to Lisa Norwood as my academic advisor for freshman year.  She has had, and continues to have, a profound impact on my life.  She encouraged me to explore all my interests, not just engineering.  Even after I switched to a BME advisor, I still sought Lisa’s advice on classes, extracurricular activities, and my personal life.  Since graduating, I have turned to Lisa for both insight and guidance during each of my career transitions.

What did you do immediately after graduation? How did you decide to take that path?

After graduation, I had two offers for engineering management masters programs.  However, I decided to join Accenture as a technical consultant because I wanted to gain real world experience in a non-laboratory work environment that presented very different challenges than those I had faced while in school.

What do you do now and why did you choose this career?

Currently, I work as a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (PTO) where I examine in the area of electrosurgical and cryosurgical medical devices.  I don’t think I imagined myself as a Patent Examiner three years ago, but after being evacuated from my Peace Corps post in the Republic of Georgia, I came back to a failing economy, and spent weeks applying to a variety of job listings.  I received two offers, one from the PTO and the other from a small biomedical engineering company.  The PTO position presented numerous benefits, including a flexible work schedule, ability to work compensatory time, and remote site teleworking, all of which have allowed me to continue to travel to see my family and for vacations.

What skills, tools, or knowledge from your major have been most useful to you since graduation?

I think the greatest skill I gained from being a biomedical engineering major was working with others, a skill that was developed and honed in the biomedical engineering senior design course.  As a consultant, Peace Corps volunteer, and patent examiner, I have found that being able to communicate effectively helps both myself and my team further our goals.

How do you balance your work and personal life?

Balancing my work and personal life can be difficult at times, especially since my job as a patent examiner allows me to have a flexible schedule Monday through Saturday.  I have the option to sleep until 10 a.m. and work until midnight, or I can go to the office at 5:30 am and leave work at 2:30 pm.  However, I try to keep myself on a fairly regular work schedule in order to avoid procrastinating getting my work done, so I have the time to take evening classes, relax with my boyfriend and friends, and volunteer.

What advice do you have for current students?

I would advise students to not just limit their course load to those classes that are in their major or to classes that they think will help them in their job hunt.  I thoroughly enjoyed my non-engineering courses in the areas of Spanish, German, Medical Anthropology, and Hawaiian Dance & Culture, and I think it is essential to take some classes outside of one’s comfort zone.  For those students who graduate this year, I would advise students not to underestimate alternative job listing sources – I found the job advertisement for the small biomedical engineering company that offered me an engineering position on Craigslist!

When and how did you choose your major?

My major was biomedical engineering, and I had minors in chemistry and music. I was good at science and mathematics in high school, and landed on BME as a freshman. I was amazed by the breadth of content, skills, and opportunities available to BME students, so I kept with it. At the same time, I kept a intense extracurricular load to balance out the science/technical-intensive major.

What activities were you involved in as a student and what did you gain from them?

At Rochester, I was heavily involved in SA Government and Alpha Delta Phi, as well as Class Council, Newman, and FASA. Through all of these activities, I learned a tremendous amount about leadership and management, teamwork, accountability, and professionalism. I learned how to create a budget, read resumes and interview, manage a team, program large events, run meetings, develop marketing campaigns, and most importantly, I had fun doing it!

What resources did you use on campus that you recommend current students use?

One set of resources I wish I had accessed more is the faculty in my department. They are all vested in our professional development and success, and the ones I keep in touch with have helped me hone my professional goals and career path, link me to other BME alumni, and keep me abreast of new developments at Rochester.

What do you do now and why did you choose this job?

I primarily conduct clinical research in emergency medicine –anything in our department including sepsis, ultrasound use, stroke, asthma, oncology, pediatrics, and medical education. I also program CME conferences, execute quality improvement initiatives, and manage volunteer interns. It’s a 1-2 year position (currently hiring) designed for pre-health students to conduct research and get a sense of how an academic medical department runs. It is a jumping point for me as I apply for graduate school.

Where would you like to be in five years?

I would like to be pursuing my doctoral degree in biomedical engineering.

How are you still connected with the University?

A lot of ways! Some of my friends from Alpha Delt are still undergrads, so they let me know what’s going on. I have other friends who are still in the Rochester area (or are at Rochester for graduate school), and I keep in touch with my mentors. I also read @Rochester every morning, the Engineering Alumni Memo every week, and the Hive, Currents, and Rochester Review when I remember. The alumni office is also a great resource for updates.

The following graduating seniors received fellowships:

• Emilia Sola-Gracia ’12, bachelor of science in ecology and evolutionary biology
• David Kaphan ’12, bachelor of science in chemistry
• Sharese King ’12, bachelor of arts in linguistics, minor in American Sign Language
• Mark D. Levin ’12, bachelor of science in chemistry, minor in mathematics
• Susan Pratt ’12, bachelor of arts in mathematics and bachelor of science in physics

The following graduating seniors received honorable mentions:

• Chad Hunter ’12, bachelor of science in chemical engineering, minor in mathematics
• Matej Penciak ’12, bachelor of science in physics and bachelor of arts in mathematics
• Benjamin E.R. Snyder ’12, bachelor of science in chemistry and bachelor of arts in mathematics

The following graduate students received fellowships:

• Michael Baranello, doctoral degree candidate in chemical engineering
• Ellie Carrell, doctoral degree candidate in pharmacology and physiology
• Jason Inzana, doctoral degree candidate in biomedical engineering
• Vijay Jain, doctoral degree candidate in physics

The following graduate students received honorable mentions:

• Esteban Buz, doctoral degree candidate in brain and cognitive sciences
• Dev Crasta, doctoral degree candidate in clinical and social sciences in psychology
• Adam B. Johnson, doctoral degree candidate in ecology and evolutionary biology
• Patrick S. Murphy, doctoral degree candidate in microbiology & immunology
• Ian Perera, doctoral degree candidate in computer science

The following recent alumni, who are currently pursing advanced degrees elsewhere, received fellowships:

• Molly Boutin ’11, bachelor of science in biomedical engineering
• Caitlin Hilliard ’10, bachelor of arts in brain and cognitive sciences and American Sign Language
• Patrick Sheehan ’11, bachelor of science in physics & astronomy and bachelor of arts in mathematics
• Raisa Trubko ’10, bachelor of arts in physics and bachelor of science in optics
• David J. Weinberg ’11, bachelor of science in chemistry
• Hannah (Geswein) Williamson ’08, bachelor of arts in psychology

The following recent alumni, many of whom are currently pursing advanced degrees elsewhere, received honorable mentions:

• Samuel Anderson ’11, bachelor of science in chemistry
• Isthier Chaudhury ’11, bachelor of science in chemical engineering and bachelor of arts in interdepartmental programs
• Emily (Grzybowski) Dennis ’11, bachelor of science in molecular genetics and bachelor of arts in studio arts
• Aaron Gorenstein ’11, bachelor of science in computer science
• Seth Kallman ’09, bachelor of science in brain & cognitive sciences
• Kathleen Mulvaney ’10, bachelor of science in molecular genetics
• Alison Ossip-Klein ’10, bachelor of science in ecology and evolutionary biology
• Camillia Redding ’10, bachelor of arts in political science
• Maria Strangas ’10, bachelor of science in ecology & evolutionary biology
• Adam Williamson’08, bachelor of science in electrical & computer engineering and bachelor of arts in physics

Article written by Melissa Greco Lopes, editor of The Buzz and student life publicist in University Communications. Photo courtesy of  the NSF website.