Intramural Research Internship: A Requirement Of The Undergraduate Bioengineering Curriculum At The University Of Pittsburgh
- Conference
- Location
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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Publication Date
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June 22, 2008
- Start Date
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June 22, 2008
- End Date
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June 25, 2008
- ISSN
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2153-5965
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Biomedical
- Page Count
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13
- Page Numbers
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13.797.1 - 13.797.13
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--3690
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/3690
- Download Count
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517
Paper Authors
Steven Abramowitch University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Abramowitch is an Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at the Swanson School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. He received his B.S. (1998) in Applied Mathematics and Ph.D. (2004) in Bioengineering from the University of Pittsburgh. Currently, he serves as the Director of the Tissue Mechanics laboratory in the Musculoskeletal Research Center.
The primary goal of the Tissue Mechanics Laboratory is to understand and enhance ligament healing utilizing functional tissue engineering approaches, and to investigate mechanisms of pelvic floor failure in women with pelvic organ prolapse.
Dr. Abramowitch served as course instructor for the Intramural Research Internship course from 2004-2007.
Mark Redfern University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Redfern is Professor and Associate Chair of Bioengineering at the Swanson School of Engineering with secondary appointments in Otolaryngology and Rehabilitation Science at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Redfern received his B.S. in engineering science and applied mechanics at the Univerisy of Michigan in 1974, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in bioengineering from the University of Michigan in 1988. He trained at New York University in clinical prosthetics, and was a certified clinical prosthetist for 4 years. His research areas are focused on biomechanics, human postural control, and ergonomics.
Richard Debski University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Debski is an Associate Professor and undergraduate coordinator in the Department of Bioengineering. Additionally, he serves as the Co-Director of the Shoulder Dynamics and ACL Laboratories as well as the Director of the Robotics Group in the Musculoskeletal Research Center. He received both his B.S. (1991) and Ph.D. (1997) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.
The primary goal of the Shoulder Dynamics Laboratory is the study of shoulder instability -specifically, the structure and function of the ligaments and joint capsules at the glenohumeral and acromioclavicular joints.
Alejandro Almarza University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Almarza is a Research Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at the Swanson School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. He received his B.S. (2001) in Chemical Engineering and Ph.D. (2005) in Bioengineering from the Rice University. Currently, he serves as the Director of the Mechanobiology laboratory in the Musculoskeletal Research Center.
The primary goal of the Mechanobiology Laboratory is to understand the complex interactions between mechanical stimuli/forces and cellular behavior, along with utilizing molecular and cellular therapies, to enhance ligament healing. Major efforts are currently focused on the application of bioscaffolds to enhance ligament and tendon healing through functional tissue engineering.
Dr. Almarza is serving as course instructor for the Intramural Research Internship course from 2007-Present.
Harvey Borovetz University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Borovetz is professor and Chair of Bioengineering at the Swanson School of Engineering and the Robert L. Hardesty Professor of Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh.
Dr. Borovetz received his B.A. in physics from Brandeis University in 1969, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in bioengineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 1973 and 1976, respectively. His research areas are focused on the design and clinical utilization of ventricular assist devices for adult and pediatric patients.
Savio Woo University of Pittsburgh
Abstract
NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract
Intramural Research Internship: A Requirement of the Undergraduate Bioengineering Curriculum at the University of Pittsburgh Abstract
Intramural Research Internship has been offered as a core Bioengineering course since the inauguration of the University of Pittsburgh’s undergraduate Bioengineering degree program in 1998. The goal of this course is to provide a collaborative, interdisciplinary research experience that exposes students to pathways for graduate education and professional careers in bioengineering. By complementing the education acquired in the classroom, we have found that this experience is both beneficial and motivational. This paper provides an overview of our Intramural Research Internship course and some of the unique teaching strategies that have been successfully implemented over the past decade.
Introduction
Our approach to undergraduate education is to provide students with an opportunity to receive individualized training in bioengineering while meeting the following objectives.
Objective #1: Graduates will have a strong foundation in fundamentals of life sciences (biology and physiology), mathematics, engineering principles and the humanities.
Objective #2: Graduates will have both a broad knowledge of the technical and social principles of bioengineering as well as a focused education in one concentration area within bioengineering.
Objective #3: Graduates will be prepared for careers through educational experiences beyond the classroom, which will deepen an understanding of the technical and non- technical issues in bioengineering, process and design.
Objective #4: Graduates will have required knowledge to meet postgraduate goals in industry, graduate school or medical school.
In order to meet objectives #3 & #4, we believe that a research internship experience is essential for students to appreciate the need for engineering education outside the classroom, and to make better informed decisions about their future careers. Thus, unlike any other Bioengineering Department that we are aware of, we have made our intramural research internship course a requirement of our undergraduate curriculum. We generally offer this course to juniors such that their fundamental mathematics, chemistry, biology, and bioengineering courses can provide a sufficient basis for laboratory work. With our undergraduate program now exceeding 150 students, the major challenges that stem from our decision to make this a required course are 1) providing a sufficient number of internship opportunities, and 2) finding projects that match students’ interests. Fortunately, at the University of Pittsburgh, the Swanson School of Engineering is located within one city block of our world class School of Medicine and the vast clinical research facilities at the University of
Abramowitch, S., & Redfern, M., & Debski, R., & Almarza, A., & Borovetz, H., & Woo, S. (2008, June), Intramural Research Internship: A Requirement Of The Undergraduate Bioengineering Curriculum At The University Of Pittsburgh Paper presented at 2008 Annual Conference & Exposition, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 10.18260/1-2--3690
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