Yasmin Albur ’21, a biomedical engineering major with minors in mechanical engineering and math, says in high school, she was in between wanting to pursue a career as an engineer and as a doctor. When she discovered how well biomedical engineering combined both worlds, she knew this was the program for her.
When considering colleges and universities, Albur was looking to attend a school where she wasn’t just a number in the classroom. It was important for her to feel comfortable asking questions and speaking with her faculty. “One of the major reasons I chose UHart was because of the small classes,” she says. “I love the small community that exists on campus, and through it, I made a lot of great friends and lasting connections with my faculty.”
Yasmin Albur ’21, biomedical engineeringOne of the best parts about biomedical engineering is being able to build things and help people all at the same time. I was excited to discover UHart’s biomedical engineering program, where I could turn my dreams into a reality.
While the second half of her college career shifted dramatically because of COVID-19, Albur says she couldn’t have gotten through her classes and projects without the help of her faculty. Specifically, assistant professors Takafumi Asaki and Mary (Cater) Arico were extremely helpful because they genuinely cared about their students. “While our senior year hasn’t been what we had hoped, they were always there for us, doing their best to share their knowledge and expertise with us.”
One of the highlights of her senior year has been her recent internship with Lactation Innovations LLC. Albur is currently working as a regulatory affairs intern through CETA's Professional Mentoring Program, where students are paired with alumni and industry professionals in the field they are studying. “I spoke to my mentor, Jayme Coates, who is the co-founder of the organization, and she offered me this great opportunity,” she says. “Lactation Innovations LLC is a nonprofit company that develops and designs medical devices and technologies that help women breastfeed. We are currently working on the manoula device that measures how much milk a baby has consumed.” As a regulatory affairs intern, Albur reviews documents to confirm FDA regulations and standards are being followed. “What I like best about this internship is that I’m learning a lot about FDA standards and regulations, which is not something you learn in a class but through experience,” she says. “I also like that it is a remote internship. In these COVID times, that has given me more flexibility to participate in the internship during my last semester at UHart.”
Albur is also working as a research assistant here at the University. She started working on the breast cancer detection platforms research team with Associate Professor Colleen Krause in 2019, and is now incorporating an area of the research to focus on for her capstone project. “This research aims to develop a device that can detect breast cancer with bodily fluids, in order to minimize invasive breast cancer methods,” she says. “I have learned so much through this research from laboratory experience to operation of various microscopic and electrochemical apparatuses to modeling, designing, and printing 3D prototypes.” The research was recently recognized at a national level.
Additionally, Albur is involved with many areas of student life on campus, including serving as president of the Engineers Without Borders UHart chapter and Muslim Student Association. She is also a CETA student ambassador, where she gets to meet with prospective students interested in the biomedical engineering program at UHart. Finally, she has served as a member of the Society of Women Engineers UHart chapter and National Society of Black Engineers UHart chapter.
While she has not confirmed a job opportunity after graduation, Albur is busy applying for opportunities, scheduling many interviews, and continuing to grow her network through her work experience and opportunities to speak with industry professionals over the coming weeks.
When asked what advice she would pass on to incoming students, Albur says to not be afraid to talk to your professors and ask how you can get involved with campus projects. She also encourages taking advantage of the career services on campus to get a head start preparing your resume and cover letters for internships and jobs. “Most importantly, join clubs that interest you. This is a great way to make many lifelong friends!”