Hometown
Frankfort, Illinois
Major and Graduation
Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering, specialization in Cell and Tissue engineering, Expected Graduation: 2025
Student Organization Involvement
Biomedical Engineering Society (Vice President), Vaicik Research Lab, Kappa Phi Delta Sorority
Why did you choose your major/what do you want to do with your degree?
I chose Biomedical Engineering because I am passionate about working in the healthcare field, but naturally have an engineering mindset. I hope to work directly with physicians and patients to help implement novel medical devices in the field.
What is your favorite thing about the Camras Scholars Program?
My favorite thing about Camras Scholars Program is the opportunities it provides for all the scholars, and the hard work scholars put back into the program to ensure new scholars have even more opportunities to strengthen their skills.
Where do you see yourself in 20 years?
In 20 years, I see myself working in a hospital, working directly with surgeons to aid in medical device implantation and perform device calibration pre- or post-op. I hope to help the doctors and patients learn more and feel more comfortable working with innovative technology.
How do you think you best represent what it means to be a Camras scholar?
As of August 2023, I am working as a Senior Resident Advisor where I advise residents on academic or personal inquiries and also act as a liaison between other resident advisors and staff in the Office of Residence Life. I work to foster and develop relationships among 40 residents and supervise a team of 6 Resident Advisors.
In August 2022, I was the team lead for the Synthetic Cholesterol Regulation Circuit project for the Interprofessional Projects Program class at IIT. I managed the assay team's lab training, research, and facilitated communication between teams. I presented the SCRC project at IIT’s Innovation Day and our team was awarded highest impact project among 80 other student projects.
I was selected for the Armour R&D Research Program in Spring 2022 and Summer 2022. During this time I conducted a Periodontitis project over and showcased work at Armour R&D Expo. I developed a protocol to isolate bacteria from a saliva sample and verified protocol success using fluorescent imaging and ImageJ.
Contact
Email: kwrobel1@hawk.iit.edu
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/katherinewrobel/