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January 20,, 2003 Vol.73, no. 1S
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| CAREER MINDED: The officers of the
Engineers in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS) say that their
group is extremely active and that a week doesn’t pass without
an e-mail going out about a society event. The group’s two
biggest events are its faculty mixer in the fall and BBQ in the
spring. Photo by Angela Privin. |
EMBS aims
to be a professional link for students
It wasn’t just the free Zachary’s pizza that drew crowds of
students to the Engineers in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS) faculty
mixer at the end of fall semester.
EMBS Officers were pleased by the student interest and a turnout that
far surpassed last year’s numbers.
The group, which caters mostly to BioE majors (or any engineer interested
in bioengineering), describes itself as a medium sized, very active
society that focuses more on the professional than the social. “On
campus there are enough social activities. We gear more towards professional
development and help connect BioE students with alumni and professors,”
says EMBS co-president Deva Chan.
The idea behind their faculty mixer is to create an informal environment
where students feel comfortable approaching professors and asking questions
about their research or personal lives.
EMBS also helps students make inroads in industry by hosting career
panels and connecting students to a network of BioE alumni who work
in local industry. “The Biotech industry has really been growing,
so there are a lot more companies springing up in the Bay Area; and
our alumni there are a great connection for us,” say co-president
Cathy Cheng.
Recently an alum working at Bayer helped get internships for some EMBS
members and helped others secure jobs at the company.
“It’s really difficult for students to get to know people
in industry. Our industry events take place in a very informal setting
to help make panel members more approachable,” says EMBS officer
and sophomore Ryan Hoshi.
EMBS also provides academic resources by publishing an unofficial guide
to bioengineering, with sample schedules, student comments on classes,
and advice on getting started in research. The organization also pairs
older students with freshmen and transfers to provide advice and mentorship.
BioE junior David Zeltzer is a regular at EMBS events. “I go to
events primarily for efficient information gathering. It is the best
way to learn more about careers, classes and professors,” he says.
As one of the College of Engineering’s newest departments, BioE
faculty and staff are enthusiastic about and dedicated to building unity
within the major.
Professors make regular efforts to attend EMBS events and reach out
to students, say members. During the mixer, seven BioE professors took
time out of their busy schedules to mingle with students, among them
Luke Lee and David Rempell.
“Because we are such a new program, we aren’t all located
in a central place. Events like these function as a way to bring people
in the department together in a virtual center,” says Professor
Lee.
To learn more about EMBS, log onto www-inst.EECS.Berkeley.EDU/~embs/.
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