Olivia Dossias ’26 has combined her passion for healthcare and engineering into a meaningful academic journey at the University of Hartford. As a biomedical engineering major in CETA, Olivia was drawn to the field because it offered the opportunity to apply engineering principles to real medical challenges and improve patient care. At UHart, she discovered a strong interest in tissue engineering, biomaterials, and lab-on-chip systems through hands-on research experiences and faculty mentorship.
Beyond the classroom, Olivia has been actively involved in both the Society of Biomedical Engineers (BMES) and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). Through these organizations, she built strong connections with fellow students who share similar interests in engineering, research, and professional development. She especially values the sense of community these groups created within the engineering program, as well as the opportunities to collaborate with students across disciplines and help foster an encouraging environment for current and prospective students.
Olivia credits UHart’s close-knit learning environment and supportive engineering community as the most rewarding part of her college experience. Smaller class sizes allowed her to work closely with faculty members through coursework and undergraduate research, helping her develop technical skills in cell culture, biomaterials, device fabrication, and experimental design. She also gained confidence in research presentation, professional communication, and collaborative problem solving, experiences that prepared her for the next stage of her academic journey.
In summer 2025, Olivia participated in an internship at the Research Experiences for Undergraduates program at Dartmouth College, where she conducted tissue engineering research involving cryogel-based bone scaffolds. Her work focused on studying how different radiation dosages impacted scaffold structure and performance, providing her with valuable experience in biomaterials research, laboratory techniques, mechanical testing, and swelling analysis. Olivia truly appreciated learning about new areas of biomedical engineering research while collaborating with fellow students and researchers from universities across the country.
Following graduation, Olivia will continue her education at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, having been accepted into its biomedical engineering PhD program. Her doctoral research will focus on bacterial cellulose for wound care applications, specifically exploring the incorporation of antimicrobial peptides and therapeutic agents into biomaterials. She hopes to combine biomaterials engineering, synthetic biology, and tissue engineering approaches to develop innovative wound healing technologies with real clinical impact.
Olivia calls out several UHart programs and faculty members who became valuable mentors for helping shape her success as both a student and researcher. She eagerly mentions Solaleh Miar, who served as both her advisor and principal investigator, as having a particularly strong impact on her academic and professional growth through her mentorship, encouragement, and support. She also expresses gratitude for Takafumi Asaki, Cindy Thomas-Charles, and the U-RISE program for providing mentorship, research opportunities, and professional development experiences.
Outside of academics, Olivia enjoys traveling, spending time outdoors, and exploring new cultures. One of her favorite destinations so far has been Costa Rica, and for her next adventure, she is planning to travel throughout Europe later this year.