Students participate in Industrial Day

Seeking advice about opportunities in the field of bioengineering, approximately 30 Engineering students gathered in Bodek Lounge Monday for the second annual Industrial Day Conference. Ten representatives of companies from across the field came to share their stories and experiences in the industry with the University community. Industrial Day was organized by a committee of six Bioengineering students led by Engineering junior Kim Vesey. Their goal was to give interested students a first hand look at the industry, Vesey said. "Our basic object of the day is to get people to exchange information," she added. Representatives from companies ranging from AT&T; to DuPont showed students how their coursework can be applied in the industry. In return, students showed the company representatives what innovations and ideas have sprung from University students. Ronald Solar, a University alumnus, gave the keynote address. He told students they must be aggressive in looking for jobs, because opportunities for bioengineers are available. According to i-Stat representative John Lee, the address was an encouraging and realistic portrayal of what challenges bioengineers will face in the business world. Most of the Bioengineering majors attending the conference wanted to get a feel for what types of opportunities exist in the industry. "You don't really know everything out there," Engineering sophomore Jeremy Diringer said. Time was set aside at the end of the conference for students to ask questions and establish initial contact with company representatives in small group discussions. Industrial Day also gave non-bioengineering students more information about the field and its accomplishments. Primarily known for the development of prosthetics and other medical devices like pacemakers, bioengineers work on everything from micro-needles to the common hearing aide, Lee said. According to Kenneth Foster, associate professor of Bioengineering, the conference was well-organized and smoothly run. "The students did a wonderful job," he said.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.