BIO Medical Engineering ABET Accreditaiton

Assistantship/Internships in Biomedical Engineering

Assistantship and Internship Opportunities for Undergraduates in Biomedical Engineering

There are multiple in-house internships/assistantships are now available to UDC Biomedical Engineering students!

National Science Foundation (NSF) Targeted Infusion Project: Integration, Cultivation, and Exposure to Biomedical Engineering at the University of the District of Columbia
Up to six, paid Undergraduate Assistantships available per year

The selected undergraduate students will be employed to work during the summer months to assist the Dr. Thompson and colleagues with the Biomedical Engineering Summer Outreach Program. During the school year, student assistantships towards the Biomedical Engineering activities & program are also available.

National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Initiation Award: Investigating a new Generation of Assistive, Innovative Technologies (GAIT) for balance rehabilitation
Two, Undergraduate Research Assistantships (RAs) available per year

This NSF project seeks to explore a creative, novel, and potentially transformative aids for healthy elderly and elderly stroke survivors. The selected undergraduate RAs will gain research experiences through being actively involved in the project. Undergraduate RAs are expected to work 20 hrs/week for 10 weeks during the summer months and 5 hrs/week for up to 20 weeks during the regular school year. Dr. Thompson will mentor and work cohesively with the RAs in regards to experimentation, data analysis and interpretation of results.

National Science Foundation (NSF) EAGER: Nurturing Women’s Innovativeness and Strength in Engineering through experiential learning in biomedical engineering (WISE)
Two, paid Undergraduate Workshop Assistantships (WAs) available per year

Two, UDC School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) undergraduate students will be employed to work as assistants and mentors for a new youth outreach program. Female, ethnic minorities are encouraged to apply. This program is aimed towards exposing DC area high school students to Biomedical Engineering. There is a particular focus placed on female youth participants. Undergraduate WAs are expected to work 5 hrs/week for throughout the fall-term and spring-term. The WAs will assist with and providing insight on participants’ projects/designs, as well as serve as role models and mentors to the high school and middle school participants.

Four, paid Undergraduate Research Assistantships (RAs) Available: (US citizens or permanent residents)
Up to four, undergraduate student research assistants (RAs) per year will be selected to work on Biomedical Engineering-related research projects. Student RA are expected to work no more than 10 hrs/week for 9 weeks during the academic year. The selected RAs will be mentored by Dr. Lara Thompson and Dr. Nian Zhang, and research projects will be highly multidisciplinary in nature.

Other opportunities:
Xerox Research Fellowship (Fall application only)
Academic Merit Scholarship (contact Dr. Thompson to discuss eligibility)

To Apply:
Send a letter of interest and resume to Dr. Lara Thompson, Biomedical Engineering Program Director, to lara.thompson@udc.edu.

Biomedical Engineering

Why pursue a career in Biomedical Engineering?

Biomedical Engineering (or BME) is projected to be the fastest growing occupation (> 72% increase nationwide) over the next several years. This large growth means that the demand and number of available jobs for Biomedical Engineers are high.

What is Biomedical Engineering?

Biomedical engineering is a highly interdisciplinary field which involves the application of engineering principles and design concepts to solve medical-related problems that affect human quality of life. There are limitless examples of Biomedical Engineering “at work”: the development orthopedic devices and drug delivery systems, the development of minimal invasive surgery techniques and devices, the advancement of noninvasive imaging technology, the design and implementation of non-invasive and invasive devices to aid in patient rehabilitation, and others. Through the application of engineering principles and design concepts to solve problems in medicine and biology, Biomedical Engineering provides a convergence of life sciences with engineering.

Biomedical Engineering at UDC

Housed within the UDC Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Biomedical Engineering program was full-board approved in Fall 2014. Further, a new state-of-the-art Biomedical Engineering research and education laboratory (the Center for Biomechanical & Rehabilitation, CBRE) was opened in Fall 2015 .

UDC is located in a “hotbed” for Biomedical Engineering research in that, world-renowned institutions (e.g., the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH), then National Institutes of Health (NIH), Walter Reed Medical Center, and the Food & Drug Administration (FDA)) are all within close proximity to UDC. Further, UDC’s lower tuition fees, compared to other DC region universities offering degrees in BME, hold tremendous attraction to persons seeking a quality but economical education without sacrificing learning and research experiences. Lastly, students benefit from small class size and a personal teaching environment, as well as individual attention from faculty.