Virginia Tech® home

Congratulations BSE Class of 2021

BSE Class of 2021

Address to 2021 BSE Graduates from Dwayne Edwards, Department Head

Top 3 Senior Design Posters

This year, we had 17 Senior Design Teams! Every year, we select the top 3 senior design posters. Third place receives $80 per team member, second place receives $90 per team member, and first place receives $100 per team member.

Below are our Top 3 Senior Design Teams for 2021!

First Place

LED Fluorescence Microscopy for the Detection of Tuberculosis in Low-and Middle-Income Countries
Team LED Group Photo
Maggie Boyer, Emily Parsons, Lindsey Richardson, Mitch Woodhouse

Second Place

Downstream Plant Design for Microalgal Oil Extraction
Team Algex Group Photo
Katie Hegadorn, Casey Hubbard, Maria Splinter, Eric Zirkle

Third Place

Shoreline Restoration and Resilient Infrastructure in Norfolk
Team Shoreline Group Photo
Carol Yang, Wenni Cai, Morgan Camper, Marco Giron, and Katherine Quion

Senior Design Poster Gallery

Bud-Growth Off-The-Grid Orchard in Nangarhar, Afghanistan
Team Bud Poster
Microfluidic Device To Isolate Pancreatic Cancer Biomarkers In The Blood
Team Cancer Poster
DNA Robot 
Team DNA Poster
Personalized Hemodialysis
Team Kidney Poster
Upgraded Stream Crossing for Eastern Brook Trout in Stanardsville, Virginia
Team Fish-Xing Poster
Optimizing Edible Gummy Molding Products & Processes
Team Gummy Poster
Designing an Electronic Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale
Team eCOWS Poster
Microgravity Capable Mushroom Cultivation: Passive Porous Tube Nutrient Delivery System
Team Mushroom Poster
Breaking Waves at Claytor Lake
Team Waves Poster
Remote Water Sampling Drone
Team Sampling Poster
Sorting Food Waste to Upcycle into Renewable Natural Gas
Team Waste Poster
Green Infrastructure Pilot Project within Knitting Mill Creek
Team GreenInfra Poster
Interactive Story Map for Watershed Education
Team StoryMap
Vital Signs Monitor for Low to Middle Income Countries
Team Vitals Poster

Senior Spotlights

Alexandra Peck
Alexandra Peck from Brightwaters, NY focused on our Food Engineering path of coursework while in the department and will be working as a Supply Chain Leader for Fritolay in their Lynchburg, VA location!
Jackie Rothey
Jackie Rothey from Oakton, VA focused on our Watershed/Environmental Health path of coursework and minored in Green Engineering! She'll be working on environmental engineering at Kimley-Horn in Virginia Beach, VA!
Emily Parsons
Emily Parsons from Chesapeake, VA focused on our Biotechnology path of coursework and minored in Biomedical Engineering. She’ll be joining Merck as a Process Engineer at their Elkton, VA site.
Emily Hunter
Emily Hunter from York, PA focused on our Food path in our department and will be working as a Research Scientist in the R&D Department for The Hershey Company in Hershey, PA!
Elizabeth Helms
Elizabeth Helms from Charlotte, NC focused on our biotechnology path and minored in biomedical engineering. Elizabeth plans to continue our Accelerated Master's Program and go into industry after graduation next spring!
Nicholas Nguyen
Nicholas Nguyen from Fairfax, VA focused on our biotechnology/premed path and minored in music and biomedical engineering. Nicholas plans to start medical school in late June at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine!
Sofie Sauner
Sofie Saunier was recently admitted into VT's SEBES program for their Master's degree in Biomedical Engineering! Sofie will be working with Dr. Davalos.
Madelyn Weaverling
Madelyn Weaverling from West Chester, PA focused on our environmental health track and minored in green engineering. After graduation, Madelyn will work for Fairfax County Department of Public Works & Environmental Services.
Emmanuelle Givens
Emmanuelle 'Emma' Givens from Westerly, RI focused on our Biotechnology path and minored in Green Engineering and Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering! Emma plans to work as a Business Analyst with Anavation LLC in Chantilly, VA!
Sofie Sauner
Morgan Re from Winchester, VA focused on our Watershed path. Morgan also majored in Professional & Technical Writing and minored in Geoscience. Morgan has accepted a full-time offer with NASA's Johnson Space Center and she'll complete her MS in BME at NC State University! She'll work summers for NASA while she works on her MS and upon completion of her MS, she'll begin her full-time job.
Weiyuan Jia
Weiyuan Jia from Shanghai, China focused on our Biotechnology path. After graduation, Weiyuan will be attending Duke University to pursue a Master's!
Jesika McDaniel
Jesika McDaniel from Greensboro, NC focused on our Environmental Health & Watershed Manegement Track path. Jesika plans attend Graduate School at Virginia to receive a Masters of Education in Science Education!
Jill Grzelak
Jill Grzelak from Kendall Park, NJ focused on our biotechnology track and minored in biomedical engineering. Jill will work as a Process Engineer on the Automation Team for the Manufacturing Division at Merck, at their Durham, NC site.
Emily Schiesl
VT Cross Country runner Emily Schiesl from Burke, VA focused on our Watershed & Environmental Science path. Emily will be working for the Timmons Group in Ashburn, VA after graduation.
Rose Keating
Rose Keating from Rehoboth, MA focused on our Biotechnology path and minored in Biomedical Engineering. Rose will be attending Boston University to complete a Master's in Biomedical Engineering.
Hana Coogan
BSE Outstanding Senior Hana Coogan from Roanoke, VA focused on our Food Engineering track. After graduation, Hana will work at The Hershey Company as a Technical Services Engineer in Hershey, PA!
Kirin Anand
Kirin Anand from Chantilly, VA focused on our Health Profession track and minored in Biomedical Engineering and Chemistry. Kirin hopes to scribe in NOVA and will be applying/interviewing around the country for medical school!
Jessica Jones
Jessica Jones from Spotsylvania, VA focused on our Environmental Health track and minored in Green Engineering and Environmental Science. Starting in June, Jessica will be working for Legacy Engineering in Fredericksburg, VA.
Cameron Cornwell
Cameron Cornwell from Holly Springs, NC pursued a Master's in BSE dealing with using watershed boundaries as ways of identifying exposure in Central Appalachia. Cameron will get his GIS certification and is working with Dr. Krometis this summer!
Maggie Boyer
Maggie Boyer from Dallas, TX focused on our Biotechnology track and minored in Biomedical Engineering. After graduation, Maggie will be working for Locus Biosciences.
Charles Elmer
Charles Elmer from Birmingham, AL focused on our Environmental Health path and minored in Urban Forest & Ecological Cities. Charles will be pursuing a MS in Environmental Science from DePaul University.
Matthew Kim
Matthew Kim from Leesburg, VA focused on our biotechnology pathway and minored in Biomedical Engineering and Chemistry. Matthew will be starting as a Research Associate at Tessera Therapeutics in Boston, MA in July!
Robert Quattrone
Robert Quattrone focused on our Watershed Science + Engineering path and minored in Green Engineering. Robert now works as a remote engineer intern for Ecosystem Planning & Restoration out of their San Antonio, Texas office.
Coral Hendrix
Coral Hendrix from Virginia Beach, VA pursued our watershed and environmental health tracks. Coral is in our accelerated masters program under Dr. Thompson studying the stream restoration completed on Stroubles Creek and will return to complete her masters!
Katie Hegadorn
Katie Hegadorn from Branchburg, NJ focused on our biotechnology pathway in the department and minored in biomedical engineering. She's now an Associate Scientist at AstraZeneca in their Gaithersburg, MD office.
Robert Quattrone
Michael Kingsley from Lake Forest, Illinois focused on the biotechnology track in our department and graduated this past spring. Michael is now a Process Specialist for AbbVie in North Chicago, Illinois.
Morgan Widdifield
Morgan Widdifield from Purcellville, VA focused on our biotechnology track in the department and received a second degree in Psychology. Morgan is now a clinical specialist for Brainlab at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in DC.
Nadine Manna
Nadine Manna from Vienna, Virginia focused on our biotechnology path in our department and minored in biomedical engineering. Nadine is now working for Zimpatica as an Associate Technical Consultant.
Wenni Cai
Wenni Cai from Chengdu, Sichuan, China focused on our Watershed pathway and minored in Green Engineering. Wenni will work as a Water Resource Engineer for Wood in their Birmingham, Alabama location.
Sarah Moorehead
Sarah Moorehead from Long Valley, NJ focused on our Watershed and Environmental Health path, minored in green engineering and watershed management, and earned a dual degree in philosophy. Sarah will be continuing her education at Virginia Tech and pursuing a Master's degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a focus on Environmental and Water Resource.
Maria Gabriella Duarte Splinter
Maria Gabriella Duarte Splinter from Brazil focused on our biotechnology track and minored in biomedical engineering. Maria will be pursuing a Master's degree in Europe!