My desire to better understand the fascinating complexity of the human body led me to study biological engineering.

Since arriving at Mississippi State University, I have had the opportunity to apply engineering principles to the biological sciences in order to solve real world problems. In particular, my Biophysical Properties of Materials class sparked my interest in the biomechanics and materials research area of biomedical engineering. Both of my parents are engineers, and I believe being exposed to science at an early age through learning about their jobs with NASA contractors has greatly influenced my interest in engineering. My parents have served as great mentors and have also instilled in me the importance of a great education and giving back to the community. As I near the end of my undergraduate career, I have begun to understand the value of an engineering education, and I feel it is important not to stop my studies but to continue to pursue a PhD in biomedical engineering in an effort to contribute to the intellectual development of future engineers. As an undergraduate student in biological engineering, I have been afforded the opportunity to spend multiple years serving as a teaching assistant in engineering courses and mentoring undergraduates. Teaching assistant positions are most often provided only to students at the graduate level. Over the years of serving as a teaching assistant in the Biological Engineering Department for the Introduction to Biological Engineering courses, I developed presentations and lectured on MATLAB and materials science to freshman students. This fall semester I developed a lecture for the students in which I presented my summer research on dental implants. Based on the fundamental concepts obtained from my REU experience, I independently developed a group project in which the students used CES Edupack material selection software to apply what they had learned about dental implants and pick a material and surface treatment they think should be used in a dental implant. This project helped the students learn how to work in groups as well as to apply classroom learning to real world applications. As the current president of the MSU Chapter of the Institute of Biological Engineering, I am also responsible for overseeing the newly-instituted biological engineering learning community tutoring program and social activities. Currently, I am developing a one-on-one mentorship program within the learning community in which upperclassmen serve as mentors: they will have one or two freshmen to mentor during their time in the ABE program. Through my opportunity to assist teaching freshmen and to coordinate the departments learning community, I have gained valuable teaching and mentoring experience. These experiences have laid a strong foundation for the future teaching I intend to pursue, and I plan to continue working with high school and undergraduate students while a PhD student and as a future faculty member because I want to stimulate an interest in engineering in younger students. I foresee the breadth of leadership that I have shown throughout my entire undergraduate career at MSU as being a valuable asset in a graduate program. As an incoming freshman, I served as president of the Freshman Engineering Student Council and as a delegate on the University Honors Council. During my freshman year, older students served as mentors and models of leadership. My focus became being the same for other students, so I continued my involvement at MSU because I wanted to give back to the university that had given so much to me. My primary leadership roles have been Chair of the University Honors Council, representing over 1300 Honors College students, Vice-President of Engineering Student Council, which serves the interests of over 2200 engineering students in the Bagley College of Engineering, and the Southeast Region Vice-President of Communication for the National Association of Engineering

Student Councils (NAESC), where I facilitate communication among Southeast Region member schools as well as between the Southeast Region and other regions across the United States. In these leadership roles I have not only participated in the organization, but also served as the official student representative on several committees across the university and worked with other leaders across campus to improve the university. My experience leading these organizations has allowed me to interact with a number of stakeholders at the university, and I am currently taking a leadership class taught by the president of MSU. This, in turn, helped me to drastically enhance my communication skills and my proficiency as a teaching assistant as well. One of my most proud and notable achievements was spearheading the University Honors Councils involvement in the school supplies and backpack drive for the Lamia Afghan Foundation, which provides humanitarian aid to children and families in Afghanistan. I have participated in multiple organizations service programs because I feel that those privileged enough to be able to pursue higher education have a civic obligation to use their talents to better the lives of others. My dedication to my department, the college of engineering, and the honors college resulted in my receiving the 2010 Most Outstanding Biological Engineering Senior Award. Moreover, involvement in different campus organizations has helped me develop time management and organizational skills, both of which I anticipate being highly beneficial in a doctorate program. Through my leadership in different organizations, I have worked with a diverse group of individuals from different backgrounds and cultures than my own. These experiences have allowed me to understand the importance of diversity in organizational leadership because of the different perspective others provide. As a graduate student, I plan to continue my involvement in NAESC on a national level: it will be beneficial to continue developing relationships and enhancing my leadership skills because expanding these skills should be a constant process that will aid success in the future. My long-term aspiration is to obtain an academic position in a university setting where I can teach and conduct research in the field of biomechanics. I feel that obtaining a doctorate degree in biomedical engineering is a fundamental step to achieving this goal and will also provide me with the opportunity to make a difference through the application of technology in solving biomedical problems. After my experiences as a teaching assistant, I want to continue developing my teaching skills in graduate school by working as a laboratory TA or serving as a guest lecturer in a course so that I will be better prepared to teach as a professor. I am specifically interested in pursuing a doctorate at Purdue University because of the close collaboration among the biomedical sciences, biomedical engineering, and the Indiana University School of Medicine which will serve as the perfect setting for a deeply enriching and rewarding graduate education. The National Science Foundation Fellowship will allow flexibility to pursue meaningful research at Purdue University where I will be able to improve my teaching skills and conduct research in the field of orthopaedic biomechanics. As our society ages, the need for better understanding of musculoskeletal biomechanics as well as increasing the number of students interested in math, science, and engineering exists. The NSF Fellowship will allow me to conduct research relevant to improving our society and provide the opportunity to develop educational outreach programs to increase interest in STEM fields and increase retention rates in STEM undergraduate programs.