{"535491":{"#nid":"535491","#data":{"type":"news","title":"BME Honors Top Undergrads","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThe future of our nation is in good hands. That was the message Ravi Bellamkonda wanted to drive home in his opening remarks at the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) Leadership Reception last Friday (May 6).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EIn fact, that is exactly what he told his audience, the BME senior students, and their families and friends, who had gathered in a banquet room of the Wardlaw Building.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cIn many ways, our undergraduate program is the life of the department. This is what we\u2019re most proud of,\u201d said Bellamkonda, chair of the Coulter Department, who is moving on this summer to become dean of Duke University\u0027s engineering school.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cI\u2019ve been teaching more than 20 years,\u0022 Bellamkonda said, \u0022and what\u2019s special about you guys is, you\u2019re more socially aware than students were, more committed and driven to do things with meaning.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThis was the third annual school year-end event, designed to highlight and honor the accomplishments of BME undergraduates. As in previous years, there was another take-home message \u2013 basically, that it takes a community to raise a successful undergrad.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EAccording to Joe Le Doux, BME associate professor and associate chair for undergraduate learning and student experience, \u201cBehind each award winner and finalist are staff, faculty, parents, and other loved ones who have provided support and guidance to help these students succeed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThose sentiments were echoed by a collection of speakers that included Barbara Fasse (director of learning sciences innovation and research), and the masters of ceremony, Essy Behravesh (director of undergraduate studies) and James Rains (director of Capstone).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cI had a very tough time when I was a freshman here at Georgia Tech,\u201d Rains said. \u201cI called up my parents and told them I was quitting. So my dad said, \u2018that\u2019s OK \u2026 it\u2019s OK to quit. But let me ask you for one thing \u2013 just try your best to finish the semester.\u2019 I did. I finished the semester, and that gave me the time to find out what really made me excited.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003ESo Rains urged the gathered students to do the same going forward: \u201cYou\u2019ve persevered. You\u2019ve made it to graduation. Find out what your next goal is. Some of may not know yet, and that\u2019s OK. But find what it is you\u2019re passionate about, and then pursue it. You already know how to succeed.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003ETheir success as undergrads was rewarded with custom glass trophies for the winners, and lots of applause for the finalists.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EFirst to be recognized were students who had won or contended for national, institute and College of Engineering (COE) awards: Karisma Gupta and Varun Yarabarla won Fulbright Fellowships (turns out that two of Georgia Tech\u2019s five Fulbright honorees are BME students).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EAdditionally, Anirudh Joshi was a candidate for the Henry Ford II Scholar Award. The Helen Grenga Outstanding Women Engineer Award had five candidates from BME: Gupta, Kavida Chinov, Emma Mihevc, Priya Mohindra, and Palavi Vaidya. Gupta also was a candidate for the Tau Beta Pi Award (COE\u2019s highest honor for graduating seniors). And Stephen Pfohl was a candidate for the Love Family Foundation Scholarship (Georgia Tech\u2019s highest honor for a graduating senior).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThen, Behravesh and Rains took turns calling out the BME Leadership Award winners.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThe Outstanding Academic Achievement Award went to Pfohl. Finalists were Rehman Ali, Suhaas Anbashakan, Sage Duddleston, Karisma Gupta, Renaid Kim, Gautam Rangavajla.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EPfohl, a member of Cassie Mitchell\u2019s Lab for Pathology Dyanmics for nearly four years, had a 4.0 GPA and was the first author of two high-impact reviewed journal articles and two conference proceedings. He also created a life-saving cardiac arrhythmia algorithm, to improve diagnostic detection. He plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Biomedical Informatics at Stanford starting this fall.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cHe has a special kind of creativity that transcends scientific inquiry,\u201d said Mitchell, who added, \u201cStephen\u2019s advice and leadership has enabled 40-plus undergraduates to move their individual or team projects to a publishable stage.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003ESage Duddleston won the Outstanding Academic Service Award. Finalists were Rehman Ali, Suhaas Anbazhakan, Priya Mohindra, Palavi Vaidya, Jennifer Wang, and Gina Yu\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p3\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EIn addition to achieving a 4.0 GPA, Duddleston served as president of Tau Beta Pi, mentored BME freshmen, interned at Advanced Machine Technologies, did research in the Precision Biosystems Lab, and according to Rains, \u201cspent so much time in the machine shop and had strong knowledge of all the equipment that we decided to hire him. He now assists student teams, researchers, and startups on manufacturing their prototypes.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EBefore starting medical school next year, Duddleston is going to work in the medical device field.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p4\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cSage just blew me away with his understanding of the material,\u201d says BME Professor Ross Ethier. \u201cHe is one of the smartest undergrads I have met at Tech. I know that he also spends a good amount of time helping out other BME students. I feel that Sage is probably at the top of the class in sheer intellectual horsepower.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p4\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThe winner of the Outstanding Community Service Award was Bharat Sanders, the sole finalist for this honor, and for good reasons: He served as vice chair of the BME Learning Commons, vice chair of the BME Student Advisory Board, and was founder and president of SAI (Spirituality, Awareness, Interfaith) Young Adults at Georgia Tech, and a member of Tau Beta Pi, among other things.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cBharat was the driving force in making the mentorship program become a reality,\u201d said Le Doux. \u201cHe spent countless hours over the summer helping to design the program, create a handbook for the mentors, and helping match all 400 students to a mentor.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003ESanders plans to conduct research in the Buckley Neuroimaging Lab at Emory before applying to medical school in 2017. Long term, he\u2019d like to pursue a specialty in pediatrics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p6\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003ERachel Ford won the Outstanding Entrepreneurship Award. The other finalist was Palavi Vaidya.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EFord already is a busy entrepreneur, having co-founded a couple of start-ups as an undergrad. She\u2019s co-founder and chief operating officer for FIXD Automotive Inc., and founder and CEO of Sucette Baby Products \u2013 projects that grew out of her sophomore design experience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003ESelected as one of the \u003Cem\u003EAtlanta Business Chronicle\u2019s\u003C\/em\u003E 30-under-30 business leaders and recipient of the Alvin M. Ferst Leadership and Entrepreneurship Award at Georgia Tech, Ford has even become an instructor at Venture Lab (Tech\u2019s business incubator).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cRachel has a willingness to learn that makes her such a flexible leader,\u201d said Atlanta entrepreneur and Venture Lab principle, Paul Freet. \u201c[She] has a strong sense of purpose now that she has found her passion in entrepreneurship, and has proven her competence through the creation of her startups and her excitement in sharing this knowledge with other students.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EFord will be a program manager for the startup accelerator Techstars ATL, but eventually wants to transition into a venture capital fund, or start another company.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p4\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThe winner of the Outstanding Industrial Work Experience Award was Erin Greenhaw. Katherine Neuberger was a finalist.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EGreenhaw worked at Ultralight Enterprises to design a phototherapy device for psoriasis treatment, and provided mentorship for younger students for the Georgia Tech-based Atlantic Pediatric Device Consortium.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EShe\u2019s an active member of the Biomedical Engineering society and the Student Government Association. Following graduation, Greenhaw plans to work for St. Jude Medical in Fort Lauderdale as a field engineer. She will be training to become an electrophysiologist technical service specialist, which means she\u2019ll be programming heart devices for surgeons who implant them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThe Jain family sponsors two of BME\u2019s most prestigious awards: Outstanding Research and Outstanding Senior.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThe winner of the Mr. S. K. Jain Outstanding Research Award, who will also receive a scholarship, was Renaid Kim. Finalists were Celene Abraham, Suhaas Anbazhakan, Kaci Crawford, Joy Kim, Clay Mangiameli, Ajay Naran, Tatiana Netterfield, and Sraeyes Sridhar.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p4\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EKim has an impressive list of accomplishments: He has performed research at three different institutions: Penn State, Vanderbilt, and Georgia Tech (where he\u2019s worked in four different labs); his work has resulted in three conference posters and four journal publications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EAlso, he\u2019s already received numerous other awards in his college career, including the President\u0027s Undergraduate Research Award (twice). He plans to attend the University of Michigan Medical School this fall with hopes of becoming a physician-scientist.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p4\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EHis advisor, Cassie Mitchell, called Kim, \u201cthe most productive and enthusiastic undergraduate research student I have advised to date.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThe winner of the G.D. Jain Outstanding Senior Award (which also includes a scholarship) was Karisma Gupta. Finalists were Rehman Ali, William McAllister, Emma Mihevc, Thomas Ng, Gautam Rangavajla and Varun Yarabarla.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p4\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EA former Petit Institute Undergraduate Scholar, Gupta had a 4.0 GPA, chaired the BME Student Advisory Board (transforming the board into an efficient machine to assist the BME academic office), and was one of 30 Georgia Tech students to receive a Provost Scholarship. And of course, there\u2019s the Fulbright Scholarship.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EAs a Petit Scholar, she performed research sponsored by Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta, to enhance repair of cardiac tissue in pediatric cardiomyopathy patients. She also designed a point-of-care HIV viral load diagnostic device for the CDC (who is in the process of patenting the device).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p4\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EIn short, she\u2019s a \u201csuper hero,\u201d according to a Petit Institute researcher who received the BME\u2019s Excellence in Teaching Award \u2013 given by the Student Advisory Board, and presented by Gupta, who plans to serve as a teaching assistant for Le Doux this summer in Ireland, before starting her nine-month Fulbright term in Mumbai, India, studying and installing a device that prevents the transmission of tuberculosis from patient to patient in high-burden settings. After that, it\u2019s medical school.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EIn summing up Gupta\u2019s accomplishments, Le Doux might as well have been speaking about everyone in the room last Friday at Wardlaw: \u201cMost impressive,\u201d he wrote in his letter of support.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECONTACT:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJerry Grillo\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications Officer II\u003Cbr \/\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for\u003Cbr \/\u003EBioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Annual Leadership Reception recognizes \u0022life of the department\u0022"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EAnnual Leadership Reception recognizes \u0022life of the department\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Annual Leadership Reception recognizes \u0022life of the department\u0022"}],"uid":"28153","created_gmt":"2016-05-10 16:24:28","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:21:39","author":"Jerry Grillo","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-05-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2016-05-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"535431":{"id":"535431","type":"image","title":"Ravi speaks","body":null,"created":"1462982400","gmt_created":"2016-05-11 16:00:00","changed":"1475895319","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:19"},"535381":{"id":"535381","type":"image","title":"Fulbright winners BME","body":null,"created":"1462982400","gmt_created":"2016-05-11 16:00:00","changed":"1475895319","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:19"},"535321":{"id":"535321","type":"image","title":"Anirudh Joshi","body":null,"created":"1462982400","gmt_created":"2016-05-11 16:00:00","changed":"1475895319","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:19"},"535481":{"id":"535481","type":"image","title":"Stephen Pfohl","body":null,"created":"1462982400","gmt_created":"2016-05-11 16:00:00","changed":"1475895322","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:22"},"535451":{"id":"535451","type":"image","title":"Sage Duddleston","body":null,"created":"1462982400","gmt_created":"2016-05-11 16:00:00","changed":"1475895322","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:22"},"535471":{"id":"535471","type":"image","title":"Bharat Sanders","body":null,"created":"1462982400","gmt_created":"2016-05-11 16:00:00","changed":"1475895322","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:22"},"535421":{"id":"535421","type":"image","title":"Rachel Ford","body":null,"created":"1462982400","gmt_created":"2016-05-11 16:00:00","changed":"1475895319","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:19"},"535351":{"id":"535351","type":"image","title":"Erin Greenhaw","body":null,"created":"1462982400","gmt_created":"2016-05-11 16:00:00","changed":"1475895319","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:19"},"535461":{"id":"535461","type":"image","title":"Karisma Gupta senior award","body":null,"created":"1462982400","gmt_created":"2016-05-11 16:00:00","changed":"1475895322","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:22"}},"media_ids":["535431","535381","535321","535481","535451","535471","535421","535351","535461"],"groups":[{"id":"1254","name":"Wallace H. Coulter Dept. of Biomedical Engineering"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJerry Grillo\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications Officer II\u003Cbr \/\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for\u003Cbr \/\u003EBioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}