Inside Look - Biological Engineering

 Hi! My name is Hannah O’Neill, and I’m a senior in Biological Engineering (ABE) on the Cellular and Biomolecular Engineering track. I chose which discipline was the best fit for me to pursue my  freshman year because I knew I wanted to combine engineering principles with bio systems and the human body. I also selected it because I loved the small, close-knit community the discipline offered. Biological engineering encompasses a variety of fields including food and pharmaceutical processing, tissue engineering, bioprocessing, bioenergy, and more.

During my time at Purdue I’ve taken courses in thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, computational modeling, etc. (core engineering topics) and studied genetics, biochemistry, and sociology (medical school prerequisites). Biological engineering has allowed me the flexibility to prepare for professional school and study engineering simultaneously.

On campus, I’m involved in Greek Life and the St. Thomas Aquinas Center in addition to mentoring and ambassador programs for engineering. Purdue is a fantastic community, and contrary to popular belief, engineering is NOT completely life-consuming!

I’ve also participated in research since my sophomore year. My research focuses have included structural biology/chemistry and cellular biomedical engineering. I enjoy the application of engineering outside of the classroom, and I’ve had the chance to present my research findings.

I love the Biological Engineering department at Purdue. It’s a close-knit community of students, faculty, and staff, and it has 100% been a great fit for me!

Boiler up!

Hannah