2019-2020 OFFICERS
Meet the team
FAVOUR OBUSEH
President
Hometown: Houston Texas
Graduation date: May 2021
Favorite BME experience:
Favour Obuseh is a Junior Biomedical engineering student, with a focus in biomaterials and tissue engineering. His favorite experience with the Biomedical engineering society was the first BMES medical make- a- thon. “Participating in this event allowed me to connect with BMES from different institutions, as well as here at UTSA. I was able to think critically and work together with my team to create a solution that could help Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients”
As president, his goals are to increase the UTSA biomedical engineering society’s local presence through increased science outreach. Favour also plans to work on professional development, mentorship and community service.
GREGG BASCOS
VP external
Hello everyone. My name is Gregg Bascos and I am a junior in the college of BME with a focus in biomechanics. I became a BME student because I want to save lives through biomedical devices. Eventually, I hope to attend graduate school and earn my Ph.D. before working in industry. I love being a member of BMES, and as vice president external, I hope to make other BME students aware of amazing opportunities and events around them, and I hope to make their BME experience here at UTSA fun and exciting.
MICHELLE COLE
VP Internal
My name is Michelle Cole and I am a senior in the biomedical engineering program with a concentration in Biomechanics. I am a retired student-athlete for the UTSA Women’s Soccer team and currently play Semi-Professionally on the San Antonio Athenians. I am an intern at InCube Labs, a medical device research and development company. In the future, I am interested in pursuing a career in prosthetics and plan to apply my engineering education to further my career goals. I look forward to being an executive member of BMES to help the society grow.
SEAN TRITLEY
Industry Outreach
My name is Sean Tritley and I am a junior majoring in biomedical engineering. After high school I joined the military and served for 4 years of active duty in the US and Europe as a biomedical equipment technician. Shortly after getting out of the service, I decided to pursue my interest as a biomedical engineer in my hometown of San Antonio. My recent research has interested me for a long time, especially while being in the military, which is studying how stress affects learning, but I have now switched to a matter closer to home by studying Alzheimer’s and dementia. I am honored to be apart of the biomedical engineering society to aid in whatever matter I can for our future biomedical engineers.
SAMANTHA EATON
Secretary
I am a junior in Chemical Engineering with a concentration in Bioengineering. My desire to help create a more sustainable and prosperous world drove me to study chemical engineering, and my innate passion for medicine led me to join a Biomaterials lab in the summer of 2018. I have spent the past year of my life completing my concentration in bioengineering and working on a project aimed at optimizing synthetic hydrogels for applications in spinal cord nerve regeneration. As of Spring 2019, I am leading my own project aimed at reversing the neural protein aggregation present in diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and dementia. I am a proud member of the UTSA Engineering Ambassador’s program where I mentor the next generation of engineers. I am passionate about building a career in Bioengineering, and I hope to one day be classified as a biochemical engineer. I love being a part of BMES as I believe this program unites a community of individuals passionate about creating solutions and advancing medicine.
BEN JOHNSON
Public relations
My name is Ben Johnson and I am a Senior BME student. My favorite BMES Memory definitely has to be going to the 2018 National BMES conference. It was really amazing to see the breadth and intensity in which biomedical research is being conducted by thousands of people all over the country at a prodigious rate. I was sponsored by our local BMES Chapter, so I was able to travel with a group of 20 other UTSA students and get to know more about them and make some pretty valuable connections within my own program as well as with other university representatives at the conference. I am conducting research in the Smart Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine Lab at UTSA. I am a member of the honors college planning to graduate with Highest Honors. I am also the President/founder of the UTSA Swing Dance Society. For the future, I am pursuing MD or MD/PhD programs.
LEXI SIMAR
Upper classman liaison
I am a senior in Biomedical Engineering with a concentration in Nanotechnology and Imaging accompanied by a minor in Business Administration. In Spring of 2019, I presented a Myo-Electric hand brace project on behalf of the QL+ organization at UTSA’s Tech Symposium and the BMES Symposium on campus. Looking forward, my goal is to help future biomedical engineers get involved beyond the classroom and across disciplines with other engineers.
NAOMI ALYAFEI
Historian
Naomi knows and enjoys the challenges of science. Naomi is a Junior BME student and will pursue BME for a doctorate. She wants to make a positive difference for communities and conduct research that benefits society. Naomi is a participant of MARC U-STAR and a research assistant in a biomaterials lab where she is now working on a project that uses mechanical and chemical stimuli to promote stem cells’ growth and differentiation. In her free time, Naomi likes to wander around the city and take photos. Her goal is to be a professional nature photographer and travel around the world to capture the beauty of our planet.
RAHA SHANEHBANDI
underclassman liaison
My name is Raha Shanehbandi. I am a second-year biomedical engineering student, aspiring to become either plastic or neurosurgeon. One of my main goals in the university program is to acquire as many applicable engineering principles as possible and incorporate them into my future medical career.
MORGAN STRUTHERS
Treasure
My name is Morgan Struthers and I am a junior Biomedical Engineering student with a focus in biomaterials and tissue engineering. I chose to pursue Biomedical Engineering because I am passionate about researching and discovering solutions to physical and mental diseases, injuries, and illnesses. I hope to utilize my knowledge and experience in biomedical engineering to help people one day. I am currently working on two research projects, one regarding histology of bone and bone regeneration and the other regarding predictive testing of anticancer drugs. In my free time, I enjoy being active. My favorite sport to do at the moment is rock climbing, but I love trying new activities. I am also a first-generation student and am apart of UTSA’s Honors College, Climbing Club, and Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society.
As Treasurer of BMES, I hope to encourage more students to take an active role in programs, such as BMES, that are beneficial in networking with their peers, learning valuable skills, and more.