BOARD # 307: University of Arkansas Biomedical Engineering REU Site: Training in Emerging Biomedical Optics and Imaging Approaches

Jeff Wolchok; Timothy J. Muldoon

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Conference: 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Publication Date: June 22, 2025
Start Date: June 22, 2025
End Date: August 15, 2025
Conference Session: NSF Grantees Poster Session I
Tagged Topic: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Page Count: 5
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/55673

Paper Authors

biography

Jeff Wolchok University of Arkansas orcid.org/0000-0003-0375-4804

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BS/MS in Mech Eng from UC Davis
PhD in Biomed Eng from University of Utah

Worked in the medical device industry - 8 years

Capstone Design instructor - medical device design

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biography

Timothy J. Muldoon University of Arkansas

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Dr. Timothy Muldoon is a Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Arkansas. Dr. Muldoon teaches the Clinical Observations and Needs Finding, the Biomedical Instrumentation, and the Biomedical Microscopy courses within the Department, and also serves as the Undergraduate Coordinator. Dr. Muldoon’s research interests include engineering education, miniaturized optical imaging and spectroscopy approaches for endoscopy applications, and metabolic imaging of the tumor microenvironment.

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Abstract

The Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Arkansas is the only research-intensive, PhD. granting institution in the state and nearby region. The NSF-funded Biomedical Optics and Imaging REU program (award number EEC #2243953) was initiated in Summer 2023 to primarily recruit students from regional schools with strong undergraduate programs in biology or related areas that lack a graduate program in biomedical engineering. Through this REU site, students were paired with faculty mentors to work on a range of individual, hypothesis-driven projects which apply or develop state-of-the-art biomedical imaging methods and techniques. Students also received a range of lectures on professional development topics, social activities, and the experience culminated in each student submitted an abstract to present at the Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting. To evaluate students’ experience in our REU program, an external evaluator was used to conduct a survey and assessment of what was learned.

In Summer 2023, the first year of the program, seven students (3 female, 4 male) submitted and presented their abstracts at the BMES conference in Seattle, WA. Most students were recruited from a range of regional institutions, with one student attending from Stanford University. Four of these students had 2 semesters or fewer of prior research experience, with two students having never performed independent research at all prior to attending our program. Large majorities of the students (5-6 out of the 7) reported Large or Very Large gains in acquiring new laboratory skills, preparing a scientific poster, and understanding what day-to-day research is like. Additionally, large majorities of >5 students reported they were somewhat or very likely to pursue an advanced graduate degree (MS or PhD) and continue to pursue working in a research lab during the rest of their undergraduate tenure.

Overall, students attending the Biomedical Optics and Imaging REU at the University of Arkansas reported favorable experiences, gained significant specific laboratory and presentation skills in areas crucial to biomedical engineering, and were more likely to attend graduate school following the completion of this program.

Citation
Format

Wolchok, J., & Muldoon, T. J. (2025, June), BOARD # 307: University of Arkansas Biomedical Engineering REU Site: Training in Emerging Biomedical Optics and Imaging Approaches Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . https://peer.asee.org/55673

TY - CPAPER
AB - The Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Arkansas is the only research-intensive, PhD. granting institution in the state and nearby region. The NSF-funded Biomedical Optics and Imaging REU program (award number EEC #2243953) was initiated in Summer 2023 to primarily recruit students from regional schools with strong undergraduate programs in biology or related areas that lack a graduate program in biomedical engineering. Through this REU site, students were paired with faculty mentors to work on a range of individual, hypothesis-driven projects which apply or develop state-of-the-art biomedical imaging methods and techniques. Students also received a range of lectures on professional development topics, social activities, and the experience culminated in each student submitted an abstract to present at the Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting. To evaluate students’ experience in our REU program, an external evaluator was used to conduct a survey and assessment of what was learned.

In Summer 2023, the first year of the program, seven students (3 female, 4 male) submitted and presented their abstracts at the BMES conference in Seattle, WA. Most students were recruited from a range of regional institutions, with one student attending from Stanford University. Four of these students had 2 semesters or fewer of prior research experience, with two students having never performed independent research at all prior to attending our program. Large majorities of the students (5-6 out of the 7) reported Large or Very Large gains in acquiring new laboratory skills, preparing a scientific poster, and understanding what day-to-day research is like. Additionally, large majorities of &amp;gt;5 students reported they were somewhat or very likely to pursue an advanced graduate degree (MS or PhD) and continue to pursue working in a research lab during the rest of their undergraduate tenure.

Overall, students attending the Biomedical Optics and Imaging REU at the University of Arkansas reported favorable experiences, gained significant specific laboratory and presentation skills in areas crucial to biomedical engineering, and were more likely to attend graduate school following the completion of this program.

AU - Jeff Wolchok
AU - Timothy J. Muldoon
CY - Montreal, Quebec, Canada
DA - 2025/06/22
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - BOARD # 307: University of Arkansas Biomedical Engineering REU Site: Training in Emerging Biomedical Optics and Imaging Approaches
UR - https://peer.asee.org/55673
ER -