There are a number of good reasons why the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) is ranked among the best departments of its kind in the world. And some of those good reasons were recognized recently when BME granted its first Graduate Student Awards.

Shannon Barker, director of graduate training for BME, organized the new award program and event, held April 24 in the atrium of the Molecular Science and Engineering Building. Her co-host for the event was Garrett Stanley, professor and associate chair of graduate studies for BME, and a faculty member of the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience.

“I was honored and thrilled to organize and host the first ever BME Graduate Student Awards. We have the second-ranked BME graduate program in the country and the students are a big reason why,” Barker says.

Winners of the 2015 BME Graduate Student Awards are: James Wade (Outstanding Teaching & Mentorship); Vince Fiore (Outstanding Fundamental Research); Maria Restrepo (Outstanding Translational Research); Michael Weiler (Outstanding Entrepreneurship); Jessica Joyce (Outstanding Departmental Service); Torri Rinker (Outstanding Community Service); and Clarissa Whitmire, who won the Overachiever Award, “for students demonstrating excellence in multiple categories, being a highly-ranked nominee in more than two categories.”

Stanley was recognized with the Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award, as selected by the Graduate Student Advisory Board. But the afternoon ultimately belonged to the students.

“I wanted an event to celebrate them and let them know that we see how impressive and hard working they are,” Barker says. “And due to the response by both students and faculty, we will continue these awards in the future.”

CONTACT:

Jerry Grillo
Communications Officer II
Parker H. Petit Institute for
Bioengineering and Bioscience