For the second consecutive 12 months, a Michigan Tech university student has been awarded a single of the
nation’s most prestigious undergraduate analysis scholarships.
Kaylee Meyers, a third-12 months university student at Michigan Technological College, has acquired
a single of the nation’s best accolades for faculty undergraduates. The biomedical engineering key from Essexville, Michigan is the twelfth Michigan Tech university student to acquire the
prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship.
Established in 1989 by Congress to honor the late Arizona senator and administered
by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education and learning Basis, Goldwater scholarships are awarded to faculty sophomores and juniors. The awards
are centered on tutorial merit, analysis encounter and intent to go after a career in
science, engineering or mathematics.
As section of the assortment procedure, colleges nominate up to 4 pupils who intend
to go after a career in analysis and have at the very least a three. GPA. As a single of 396 recipients
selected from approximately 5,000 nominees, Meyers will acquire a fiscal award
to be made use of on fees like tuition, textbooks, and home and board for her senior 12 months.
Encouraging to Mend
Meyers produced a “passion for engineering” though concerned with Initial Robotics in
significant university. “But I also actually wished to function in the professional medical discipline, so biomedical
engineering was the excellent combination of the two,” she explained.
Meyers’ analysis focuses on engineered biomaterials. “More specifically, injectable
biomaterials that could be made use of to speed up wound therapeutic in hurt tendons,” she
explained.
“Kaylee’s function has led to novel info with regards to how injectable biomaterials can be
made use of to handle mobile and molecular mechanisms concerned in tendon repair,” explained Meyer’s
analysis advisor, Rupak Rajachar, a principal lecturer in biomedical engineering at
Michigan Tech. “These results are the basis for a single of two very first-author manuscripts
she is at the moment producing.”
Meyers’ second manuscript consists of the results of her creative endeavours to help create
a desk-leading ultrasound process for use in focused drug delivery from biomaterials.
Meyers’ and Rajachar’s analysis was recently awarded a second grant from the National
Institutes of Overall health (NIH) to function on incorporating concentrated ultrasound into the analysis
via a collaborative venture with Michigan Tech alumnus Eli Vlaisavljevich, a previous
Goldwater Scholarship receiver, member of the Engineered Biomaterials Lab neighborhood
and present-day school at Virginia Tech.
In addition to the NIH grant and Goldwater Scholarship, Meyers’ analysis has acquired
guidance from the Portage Overall health Basis and the Charles Steger International Internship
Award from the Focused Ultrasound Basis. She explained such funding for undergraduate
analysis is vital.
“I think outdoors funding is crucial for the undergraduate analysis we do in the
lab, as it allows us to function on solving actually fascinating engineering complications,”
she explained.
An Early Start
Meyers’ Michigan Tech journey started at the University’s Summer season Youth Application (SYP).
When she very first set foot on campus in 2016, she couldn’t foresee the path she would
take, but she knew from the get started she was at a particular spot.
“The summertime following my junior 12 months of significant university, I attended MTU’s Ladies in Engineering
Application,” Meyers explained. “I discovered a lot about engineering and experienced a chance to investigate
the campus and encompassing region.”
A self-described “avid outdoorswoman” who loves to hike, bicycle, ski, path operate and
kayak, she knew that Tech’s academics and site would be a superior match. A couple months
later, she learned that the “good fit” prolonged to the classroom and lab as nicely.
“As a senior, I attended MTU Preview Day, wherever I achieved my analysis advisor, Dr. Rajachar,
and his Engineered Biomaterials Lab group,” she explained. “Through them, I discovered about
the near campus neighborhood and what undergraduate analysis was like at Tech. It strengthened
my decision to come right here.”
Continuing a Proud Custom
Meyers is Michigan Tech’s fourth Goldwater Scholarship receiver in the previous five
many years and the second consecutive MTU university student to be so honored. Third-12 months organic
sciences key Tessa Steenwinkel received the scholarship previous 12 months.
Meyer’s lengthy-phrase objectives are to generate her PhD in biomedical engineering and finally
operate a analysis lab of her own as a principal investigator and college professor.
“I feel Tech is quite superior at promoting students from all backgrounds in STEM fields,
specially via youth outreach and our supportive campus neighborhood.”
Rajachar explained it is interesting to see the possible broader influence Meyers can have equally
as a graduate university student and future mentor to the up coming era of pupils in STEM
fields.
“She acknowledges that the biggest present any scientific mentor can present is their
time and an setting that empowers young pupils to feel in really hard function and their
own skill to resolve complications,” he explained.
Meyers is in remarkable organization as the fifth Michigan Tech biomedical engineering
key to acquire a Goldwater Scholarship, far more than any other self-control at the College,
and the third to be mentored by Rajachar.
Vlaisavljevich, who received the scholarship in 2009, is an assistant professor of biomedical
engineering at Virginia Tech and has proven a laboratory establishing therapeutic
ultrasound tools. 2012 scholarship receiver Hal Holmes is a lead engineer at Conservation
X Labs, establishing cutting-edge genetic screening technological innovation for conservation.
Rajachar is assured Meyers will stay up to the significant typical set by her predecessors.
“I really feel that Kaylee can meet or exceed the achievement of any preceding university student
from my lab,” he explained. “I emphasize their achievements consequently significantly as experts not
only to convey the importance of the Goldwater and the power of my perception in
Kaylee, but far more importantly to understand that each individual of them also serves as a mentor
to Kaylee, helping her as she performs diligently towards assembly what I feel is her
excellent assure as a scientist and engineer.”
When the time arrives for Meyers to mentor pupils of her own, she’ll mirror on her
particular part design. “I want to thank my analysis advisor, Dr. Rajachar, for supplying
me and many other pupils the possibility to get concerned in undergraduate analysis
in an encouraging and intellectually stimulating setting,” she explained. “I am quite
fortuitous to have him as a mentor.”
Michigan Technological College is a general public analysis college, house to far more than
7,000 pupils from 54 nations around the world. Started in 1885, the College provides far more than
120 undergraduate and graduate diploma applications in science and technological innovation, engineering,
forestry, small business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, and
social sciences. Our campus in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula overlooks the Keweenaw Waterway
and is just a couple miles from Lake Top-quality.