Class of 2016, BS in Bioengineering

Dubai native Shaun George is very pleased that, when he decided to pursue a bioengineering degree in the United States, he ultimately chose the Temple College of Engineering's new Bioengineering Department. He is so pleased, in fact, that in just one more year the May graduate will also earn a graduate degree thanks to the college's Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Degree program.

"The Bioengineering Department is one big family, with the professors making sure their students excel both in and outside of the classroom," says George. "And the accelerated master's degree program is fantastic," says George. "Everyone wants to save money and time, so I view it as a win-win situation for me. I started taking graduate-level courses my senior year, and they have counted towards both of my degrees.

"Also, particularly if you want to enhance your chances of getting a job in a specialized field, it is really important to have a master's degree."

In George's case, that hopefully will involve a job designing medical devices and/or prosthetic devices, a passion of his since he was a teenager. For example, his first place finish senior design team project designed an exoskeleton to help cats with paralyzed rear legs walk.

For the past two years he also has been an undergraduate researcher in Associate Professor Andrew Spence's neuromechanics lab. He has gotten involved in locomotion experiments with genetically engineered mice that ultimately could benefit patients with neurological disorders, damaged limbs or prostheses.

"I've learned a lot from Dr. Spence, including coding and optogenetics, which is a cutting-edge technique that uses light instead of electrical stimulation to affect neurons," says George, "While I have learned a lot of theory in class, I feel that learning how to utilize those theories in the lab has been more important."

George also was instrumental in the formation of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) student chapter, which has grown to 100 members, and served as its program chair for two years. In addition, he the member of Temple's intercollegiate badminton club has also served as a peer mentor to other engineering students. "I've enjoyed helping other students get back on track by working with them on their time management and study skills," he says.