“I think sometimes as undergraduate students we make quick decisions about what we do and don’t want to do. For me, I hated the thought of working in defense or medicine. I didn’t want to deal with years-long project deadlines or regulatory hurdles. Because of this, biomedical research and development was never on my radar. But once I saw how wearable health monitors could improve people’s health, I found the perfect blend of altruism and innovation.

When I became a graduate student, I wanted to create a way to help myself and my peers in the biomedical, life science and biotech fields make more connections with industry. To do this, I partnered with the local nonprofit Biohive—a trade association serving the life sciences community in the state of Utah—to create a chapter of their organization for students at the U. Now, every college in Utah has a chapter.

This club gives students perspective on what the industry is like and what options they have after graduation. Personally, I felt like as an undergraduate student I was so focused on getting my degree that when I got to the end, it hit me that I had to find a job and pick a career. That was really daunting. Although I had done internships, I wished there were more resources to help me understand better what the industry had to offer. This group is giving students a way to look around the corner and see potential career paths. 

This club also helps students connect with people outside of their specific focus. We’ve brought together students from engineering, medicine, science, etc. Anyone interested in biotech, or health tech can join. It is very interdisciplinary, and that creates a space where interesting collaboration happens.”

— Henry Crandall, 2023 Ivory House Community Leadership Award recipient, 

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow,

Electrical Engineering doctoral student