Hi!

My name is Andrew Sun, and I am a sophomore at Sid Richardson College majoring in Bioengineering. I am trying to explore the breadth that my BioE has to offer, from synthetic biology research to making trinkets and devices in the OEDK. I plan to continue working on some global health projects this semester and am also a part of Engineers without Borders. Something I am proud of making is a training manikin to support nurses in low-resources settings in performing the New Ballard Score, a method for assessing the gestational age of newborns that helps ensure premature infants get the necessary care. Our team iterated and sought feedback throughout the summer, which I felt helped us create a comprehensive solution and is a habit will take to my future projects. One of such projects I hope to design is a device that can simplify the wet-lab protocols used in synthetic biology, either by supporting the researcher in performing procedures or automating them entirely. From this course, I hope to get a sample of the prototyping capabilities the OEDK has to offer. During ENGI 120, I noticed that our team’s limited knowledge of prototyping techniques severely limited our options and resulted in an over-reliance on a few methods- for example, using the laser cutter where a table saw would have been more efficient. As the old saying goes, if the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail, so I hope that by expanding my toolset, I can start seeing where stitched fabrics, precisely cut 2D parts, and 3D prints can fit into my future projects.

Excited to work with everyone,

Andrew Sun