The Cooper Union

Intellectually, I am only satisfied when I know something down to its smallest detail. Chemistry is everything’s smallest detail, explaining the world in quarks and electrons. Two summers ago, I studied biomedical engineering and learned to design synthetic blood vessels. As I learned about how engineers use chemistry to create new materials, such as polymers, which become the building blocks for synthetic tissue, I was transfixed. When I then set out to create a prototype for a synthetic blood vessel, I found myself drawing equally on my knowledge of chemistry, applied mathematics, and biology. Soft tissue replication fascinates me: it requires understanding every function and particle of the tissue, from multiple scientific perspectives, then engineering the best materials and design to mimic it.

I knew that summer that I had found the field that I wanted to become an expert in — to know down to its smallest detail–which would present a series of endlessly captivating intellectual challenges and scientific problems to solve, and where I could use science and engineering to save and improve lives.

I am applying to the 4-year dual degree program to get my BS and MS in Chemical Engineering because chemistry is foundational to biomedical engineering. Afterwards, I hope to pursue a PhD in Biomedical Engineering, and ultimately work to advance research and translational medical applications in the soft tissue field.