Day 4: Thank You!

I would first off like to say a BIG thank you to Kim Wilkens, David Chen, and all of the undergraduates who have helped organize this awesome, fun-filled week and for giving up an entire week of their summers to help us out for the entire day. They've taught me a lot and really made this experience fun! I would also like the thank all of the speakers and people in the labs to take time out of their busy schedules to give us a more in-depth view of what biomedical engineers do in the real world. It was really cool to see the tools and machines that the scientists used in the lab here for research, but also it was really interesting to hear about how the speakers help people directly, here in Charlottesville or even in Africa! This whole experience wouldn't have been the same without all of these people, and they all really helped me become more interested in biomedical engineering, so THANK YOU!
-Sarah Meng

Day 4 Homework

I'd like to first and foremost thank Kim Wilkens, the person who put this all together. Without her, I would not have this amazing experience of being able to tour all of these labs and meeting all of these guest speakers. I felt like this experience really opened up my eyes. It also showed me what exactly biomedical engineering was and how we need more females in this field. I really enjoyed making all of these prototypes and I felt like it also really helped me develop more of an understanding in biomedical engineering.
The second person I would like to thank is Dr. Rebecca Scharf, the pediatrician who talked to us about her work in Africa. I feel like that inspired me to do something that will also change the world in that way. I enjoyed learning about how all the kids fared in Africa and how their lives were impacted.
Thank you all so much for putting in your time and effort into this project!

Thursday Blog Post

I would like to thank the UVa students Kate Donovan, Taisiya Novopachennaia, Heather Sledd, and Christina Stiebris for making my tech-girls experience great. They gave great presentations that were informative, but also fun and relatable. They were able to explain things in ways that made sense to us and we could understand easily. It was really cool to hear about the projects they are all working on as well. Their energy has really made this week fun. 

I would also like to thank the researchers who gave us their time to show us around their labs, and the speakers who came, as well as David Chen, and especially Kim Wilkins. They all did so much to help us get the most out of this week. I have learned so much from them and it was so interesting to hear how they have taken processes similar to what we were learning about, and have applied them on a much more complex scale. It was also cool to see how the skills can be applied in different ways, such as OT and Therapeutic Adventures. And thanks again to Kim for providing us with this opportunity to learn about the BME field and about the amazing things that can be done by biomedical engineers.

Ashley

Day 4 Reflection

I would love to thank Christina Stiebris for contributing to my time at camp. Because she is one of the students at UVA majoring in biomedical science, she is able to express her knowledge on the subject and show her passion towards it. The characteristics that I most appreciate is her attitude and willingness to help. I enjoy the fun games she organizes while we are waiting for the next activity like the umbrella game. They always make me intrigued and bring a smile to my face. As a girl in high school interested in STEM fields, Christina serves as a great role model.

In addition, I appreciate the amount of work Kim Wilkens has spent to make this camp as great as it is. I am impressed how organized the camp has been and honor her knowledge towards computer science. I think it is so inspiring to see someone who cares so much about women going into a STEM and/or computer science field. I can easily say, Kim has successfully changed the future gender gap of computer scientists by influencing female teens to consider the field. 

Thank you both!!

-Jane Romness

Thank You

I would like to thank all of the guest speakers who have volunteered their time to talk with us, Rebecca Sharf, Mark Andrews, Susan Berres, and Craig Meyer, all of whom were very interesting speakers. Also, I would like to thank all of the people who spoke with us during the lab tours and the people who just let us see their labs, because they have busy schedules and yet fit us into their day. I would like to thank all of the students who gave up a week of their summers to spend time with us and teach us some of what they know. I am sure that their insight into bio-medical engineering has caused some people to seriously consider it as a field of study. Finally, I would like to thank David Chen and Kim Wilkens, who have taken time out of their busy schedules to organize this event for us.
Madison 

Day 4: Thank You!

I would like to thank Kim Wilkens and David Chen for putting together such a fun and informative camp. Before I had done the camp, I did not really know what biomedical engineering was, but I knew that I really enjoyed biology and medical things. Everyone who I has spoken with us has been very informative, and I feel like I have seen a very diverse group of people in the field. The undergraduate students have also been really fun, and it is really inspiring to see people that are doing things that I hope I can do someday. Christina has especially been really fun and funny, and I can always look to her for something informative or a smile on her face. Mark Andrews was also an inspiration, and I really enjoyed learning about his company, and all the wonderful ways he has helped people with disabilities be able to do fun adventures and recreations. With every lab tour, I feel like I have learned a little bit more about the field and its applications. I am just very grateful that this camp was available for me to do, since this is a male dominated field. Everyone who has contributed to this camp is a wonderful person, and for that, I thank each and every one of you for dedicating your time our learning.

Kelly

Day 4 Thank You

I would like to thank Kim Wilkens and David Chen for starting and leading this program. I'm grateful to them and all the students for being there every day and giving us your time since I know you guys are busy people. The students also keep things fun and enjoyable, especially Christina.
People in labs always have work to do, so I'm grateful that they took time to show us around and even prepare presentations for us. I learned a lot about cancer, muscles, and various technology from them and I've never really been in a real, functional laboratory so it was interesting to see all the equipment and different people. I also developed an interest in muscular systems due to the labs and it is now a possible career path for me.
Finally I would like to thank Mr. Meyers as I really enjoyed his presentation. I have always been interested in MRIs and X-rays and other ways to see what's going on inside the body. I had an MRI a couple years back and I wondered how they could see what was in my leg, so he helped me understand.
Victoria

Thank You

I personally would like to first thank Susan Berres, an occupational therapist who came and spoke to us yesterday. I have a personal interest in occupational therapy and am considering it as a possible career path. I had already job-shadowed an occupational therapist for school, and getting to hear from another one, especially one who works specifically with children, was very informative and helpful for me. You gave me a greater overview of what an occupational therapist does, and you taught me how even very simple things can be used to help people.
I would also like to thank the whole group of UVa students who have helped us this week: Kate Donovan, Taisiya Novopachennaia, Heather Sledd, and Christina Stiebris. Your presentations on the design process have been very informative and helpful. It has been great to be able to interact with you as well and learn more about you all and what you do. Also, your creative games that you use to start the day are quite fun and entertaining. I have learned a lot from you all, and I have really appreciated your help and being able to ask you questions.
Finally, I would like to thank Kim Wilkins for her fantastic work on this program. From sending us daily emails to teaching to collecting materials for our design challenges to taking us from the hospital lobby to the classroom and back every day, you have helped each one of us so much. I am very grateful for everything you have poured into this program, which I am sure is much more than I even realize, and how dedicated you are to making this a great experience for all of us.
-Katie

Day 4 Reflection

Bio-Med Tech-Girls would not be possible without all the people who volunteer their time to speak with you, offer lab tours and work with you throughout the week. Please identify at least 2 people who have made an impact on you this week and write them a thank you note as your blog post. You can find the names of the team, speakers and lab tours on the pages of this blog.

If you need anything else on the wishlist, please add it tonight!

Day 3 Reflection

I've loved the bio-medical engineering tech girls camp so far. I think going to all the labs has been the most mind-blowing thing, so far, because I have learned so much from them that I haven't learned before. Things such as learning about regenetive tissue. I had no idea that that was something that scientists are working with. Now, I have 4 full pages of notes on it even though I had no idea it existed before this. I think what has inspired me the most is the woman who spoke to us in the first day. She knew exactly what she was doing, and she knew where needs needed to be filled. I though how she worked in Africa was very inspirational. It was really cool seeing a woman who works super hard get to do all this cool stuff because of it. It shows that work does pay off.

A high point for me was probably thinking of solutions for the problems with Tommy, and a low point for me was probably making the prototype out of index cards and duct tape. I made something that looked awful and barely worked for that. My high point was definitely high, because I'm always trying to solve things and fill in gaps, so hypothetical situations are great for me to use that skill.

It would be great if I could get a Hummkngbird kit, thank you.

Day 3 Reflection

So far, the camp experience has been great. This is my first time really being exposed to biomedical engineering, and what blew my mind was the vast applications and diversity within the field. I have really loved the lab tours, since that is when I get to see the cutting edge work that is being done by actual biomedical engineers. It was especially cool to see the 3D bio printer, and I can't wait until it becomes more widely used past a research standpoint for helping people. The person who inspired me most is probably a tie between the pediatrician who spoke to us on the first day and Mark Andrews who spoke to us on the second day. The passion that both of them have for helping those who are disabled have a better and more fulfilling life really inspire me to do the same.

Day 3 Reflection

The 3-D Bio-Printer was the thing that blew my mind today. I had no idea that we had the technology to print with cells and things like that yet, even with a simple program like Solidworks which we use in robotics at school. Even though it's still mostly in the testing stages, this will change science and give us many more opportunities in the medical field. I just thought it was really cool in general. The speakers who come in and talk to us about how they use biomedical engineering or work with biomedical engineers is really inspiring to me. They are all so passionate about what they do and you can definitely tell. The stories about their experiences helping others really wants me to study hard and be able to start helping other people too, to make their lives easier and more fun! A high point is the hands-on experiences we get to have like prototyping. It's not just a camp where it's like here's a bunch of cool stuff for you to see and learn about but you can't try it out yourself, so I like it because we get to do things ourselves.
-Sarah Meng

Day 3- Reflection

This camp has been an excellent experience for me. While having a lot of fun, I have been able to learn about a job made up of subjects that I love, computer science, engineering and biology. It has been most interesting for me to learn about aspects of biomedical engineering that I have never even thought of before. Because I learned most new information in the labs, touring the labs has been my favorite activity. I have never been to a real lab and seen live experiments. When the biomedical engineers showed us the experiment about the rats, I was really amazed! Also, I have loved the prototyping we have done to try and solve a problem. A lot of the reason I enjoy this activity is because the broad guidelines allow us to use our creative. In my free time, I enjoy building random devices at home with materials I can find around the house. My love for doing this has influenced me to consider engineering in the first place. In conclusion, I have really enjoyed what we have done at camp and believe that I have learned about the general description of biomedical engineering as a whole.

- Jane Romness

Wednesday Reflection

So far, I have found this experience very informative and interesting. Before coming, I did not really know what BME even was, and now I feel like I have a pretty good understanding of the process behind developing a method to help someone. I thought the 3D bio-printer was especially interesting. Mark Andrews especially inspired me how he has been able to reach so many people and improve their quality of life. The labs in general have also been really cool to see because you hear about all of the UVa studies, but it's different to really be able to see what's going on and how many things are happening. My favorite part was when we were with our final groups after we picked a plan and we were talking about the possibilities to solve the problem and how we could adapt our ideas to improve them.

Wednesday Reflection

Overall, this camp has been an amazing experience for me! Something that has blown my mind away during this week is the sheer amount of uses of technology in medicine. I really enjoyed learning about the 3D bioprinting of organs and the way they use everyday devices to help in occupational therapy. Someone that has really inspired me during this experience was our first speaker. I loved the work she did with the disabled children in Africa, which is something I wish to do in the future as well. A high point during this camp was the labs that we got to see. I really enjoyed seeing all of the uses of computer programming and other technology in programming that I did not know about. I really enjoyed this experience.
-Samhita Pendyal

Day 3 Reflection

I have really enjoyed the camp thus far, and it seems like everyday gets better and better. I have really enjoyed the guest speakers that have spoken with us, and I have really expanded my views on biomedical engineering. Seeing so many people in the field has shown me how the field is very diverse, and that there are many jobs I never imagined that relate back to biomedical engineering. I think that has been something that has blown my mind. With every lab tour we do and every  speaker that comes to visit us, my knowledge of biology, and the technology that is expanding the field, grows. Yesterday, Mark Andrews is someone I found very inspiring. He does so many great things for people in need, and the devices he has created for people in need just amazes me. I have not really had a high point or a low point, the entire camp has been such a great learning experience, and I am excited to see what else is in store for the rest of the week. 


-Kelly

Wednesday Reflection

I have had a good experience at this camp so far. It has helped me learn about both what I do enjoy and what I do not enjoy. I have learned a lot about the process of taking a scenario, finding problems, and from there taking steps to come up with a solution, and I have discovered that I enjoy working through this process and it is exciting for me. Before coming to this camp I was very interested in occupational therapy, and I was very impressed by the occupational therapist who came and spoke to us today. I have really been surprised by how simple things can be extraordinarily helpful. On the first day the woman who spoke told us about how even simple materials can be used to solve problems, such as how a simple rocking horse can help a child with cerebral palsy to get used to keeping her knees apart. Also today the occupational therapist showed how even something like squishing silly putty or putting straws through a hole in a cup can help people develop their motor skills. I am excited to learn more about how we can help people through both simple and more complex technology.
-Katie

Wednesday Reflection

My favorite thing to see was the 3D bio-printer, because I have experience with 3D printers and it was really cool to see how that technology is being used for medical purposes. I also enjoyed the occupational therapist who came in today, because it was interesting for me to learn about the different types of technology that she uses in her work. Also, I thought that it was very inspiring to hear about Therapeutic Adventures, and how much they are improving the lives of many people. Overall, it has been a good experience, and I hope that the next two days are fun too!

Madison

Wednesday Reflecion

So far, this camp has been a great experience. I enjoyed the opportunities to visit the different labs, especially the second one today which studied muscles. Visiting this one and the one on day 2 actually gave me an interest in studying muscular and cardio vascular systems, something I've never really thought of until this week. It was also interesting to learn more about the lives of disabled people and the creative ways occupational therapist use seemingly random objects to help people, especially children, strengthen themselves in fun ways. The interactive design process activities are also really great because it's one thing to just look at the steps in a power-point presentation, but it's a whole different story if you try it yourself.
Victoria

                                                                                                                                                             
1. During the exercise, I felt a bit frustrated since I couldn't do or had difficulty with actions that I had previously taken for granted. It took a lot longer to get things done and it must be very stressful if you're in a rush. Putting on the sock and shoe was especially difficult (and painful) and required flexibility, which I don't have. Having both legs be affected with spastic CP would have been extremely challenging.

2. This assignment has made me at least a bit more aware of what it's like to live with a disability such as cerebral palsy and how physically and emotionally draining it is. Of course, walking around for ten minutes is very different from living with it, but I understand the frustration more.

3. I liked making the videos because it creates a more interactive learning environment, so I would say it is a good addition to any assignment. For this assignment especially, it was useful to see yourself struggling and offered a new perspective other than first-person.

NOTE: This is late due to some tech difficulties