Student/Professional Organizations and Awards

BMES is the premier, broad-ranging professional organization promoting both research and education in biomedical engineering and bioengineering. Our undergraduates organize an active local student chapter of the Biomedical Engineering Society, which holds several social- and career-oriented events throughout the year to connect the undergraduate biomedical engineering community on campus. Faculty are encouraged to participate in coordinated events to promote communication between professors and students. 
Contacts: 
BMES Chapter Co-Presidents - Daymieri Ariciel Narvaez and Mia Raneri
Faculty - Prof. Lauren N. Heckelman

GoBME (Graduate Organization of Biomedical Engineers) is open to graduate students in the Biomedical Engineering Department. Its goals are to enhance the social and academic lives of students, and to advocate for graduate student needs within the department. 

GoBME hosts a variety of social events throughout the year and organizes departmental teams for Columbia intramural athletics. The organization also serves as a link between graduate students and the faculty, communicating student concerns and ideas. 

Executive Board: 

• President - Ryan Hosn
• Internal Vice President - Jacob Nye
• External Vice President - Vanessa Li
• Treasurer - Satya Nayagam
• Communications - Vivian Lu
• Mentorship / Advocacy - Esha Uddin
• Outreach Chairs - Allen Hong & Derek Ning
• Social Chairs - Artemis Margaronis & Lulu Chen
• Intramural Chair- Yash Ponkshe

General Questions: email [email protected]

IEEE-EMBS is the world's largest international society of Biomedical Engineers. Founded under IEEE, EMBS has, in recent years, expanded into an organization of researchers from bioinformatics, biotechnology, clinical engineering, information technology, instrumentation and measurement, micro and nanotechnology, radiology, and robotics. The student chapter of EMBS at Columbia promotes career education and alumni networking, entrepreneurship and business plan competitions, and field trips to industry and research centers. We are honored to have Prof. Andrew Laine as our Chapter Advisor. We welcome both graduate and undergraduate students. Follow us on Instagram to get regular updates on our club activities!

• Erfan Zabeh, President
• Jacob Nye, Vice President
• Sandra Maesta, Administrative Vice President
• Claire Han, Vice President of Grad Activities
• Ananya Raghavan, Vice President of Undergrad Activities
• Neeraj Sakhrani, Vice President of Undergrad activities
• Tapasi Brahma, Social Media Coordinator
• Vish Rao, Web developer
• Aviral Misra, Treasurer
• Katherine Liu, Diversity Chair
• Adel Alnatour, Secretary
• Shubh Mehta, Secretary-elect
• Anurag Sharma, Treasurer-elect
• Fotis Tsitsos, Diversity Chair-elect

Society for Biomaterials (SFB) promotes all phases of materials research and development by encouragement of cooperative educational programs, clinical applications, and professional standards in the biomaterials field. The purpose of the National Student Section of the SFB is to encourage the development, dissemination, integration, and utilization of knowledge in biomaterials among students, and encourage multi-disciplinary interactions among all SFB members. Open to graduate students, the student chapter of the Society for Biomaterials (SFB-CU) aims to promote interests in biomaterial research and education, while also highlighting the activities of an increasing number of biomaterials-related researchers on the Columbia University campus. Activities include biomaterials-related seminars with both research and career interest, professional networking, and community outreach activities.

Contacts: Collin Schmidt, Candice Chiu Student Representatives; Helen H. Lu, Faculty Advisor.

The Richard Skalak Memorial Prize in Biomedical Engineering was founded in recognition of the pioneering contributions of late Professor Richard Skalak to the development of the Biomedical Engineering program at Columbia University. Dr. Skalak was an inspirational teacher and scholar who taught students and colleagues to appreciate the value of broad interactions between engineering and medicine, particularly in the fields of cardiovascular mechanics, tissue engineering, and orthopedics.

The Richard Skalak Memorial Prize is awarded annually to a senior Biomedical Engineering student who exemplifies the qualities of outstanding engineering scholarship and breadth of scientific curiosity, which form the basis for life-long learning and discovery.

Recipients of the Richard Skalak Memorial Prize:

• 2024 Tina Liu
• 2023 Julia Zhao
• 2022 MiHyun Jang
• 2021 Ziad Saade
• 2020 Lekha Yesantharao
• 2019 Janice Chung
• 2018 Sarah Ning Chiang
• 2017 Meridith Pollie
• 2016 Anthony Yang & Vivan Zhang
• 2015 Shawn Thomas
• 2014 Annabelle Anandappa
• 2013 Claire Duvallet
• 2012 Dmitriy Timerman
• 2011 Laura Leigh Wertz
• 2010 Matthew Lee Zuo
• 2009 Shun Yu
• 2008 Qian Wei
• 2007 Erin George
• 2006 Richard Shin
• 2005 Christina Hei Mun Fan
• 2004 Jeremy Lewi
• 2003 Nitin Ohri
• 2002 Chun Fai Ng
• 2001 Ahmad Reza Sedaghat
• 2000 Mitchel Seruya
• 1999 Peter Kung
• 1999 David Lee

The Claire S. and Robert E. Reiss Prize in Biomedical Engineering is given to the graduating seniors in Biomedical Engineering judged by the faculty of the program most likely to contribute substantially to the field. Dr. Reiss received his Ph.D. from the Engineering School of Columbia University, and was the founder of InterVentional Technologies Inc.

Recipients of the Claire S. and Robert E. Reiss Prize:

• 2024 Eva Soler and Stella Park
• 2023 Elías Tzoc-Pacheco and Jose Pomarino Nima
• 2022 Hannah Ballard
• 2021 Nicolas Acosta
• 2020 Olubunmi Fariyike
• 2019 Rachel Mintz
• 2018 Alessandra Schaszberger
• 2017 Sidney Perkins
• 2016 Ritish Patnaik & Jason Kang
• 2015 Tolu Akinade
• 2014 Nicole Moskowitz
• 2013 Kevin Ma
• 2012 Alba Luengo
• 2011 Mohammed Altaf Shaik
• 2010 Benjamin Wing Tak Lee
• 2009 Amandine Godier
• 2008 Evan Kao
• 2007 Natalie Leong
• 2007 Jing Meghan Shan
• 2007 Daniel Okin (Chemical Engineering)
• 2006 Barry Wohl
• 2006 Meghan Elizabeth Jewitt
• 2006 Zopf Christoper (Chemical Engineering)
• 2005 Lawrence David
• 2004 Cheng Qi Qi
• 2003 Rachel Gail Handwerger
• 2003 Kathie Lynn Dionisio
• 2002 Louis Young Lee
• 2001 Kenneth Wayman Ng
• 2001 Bryte Jason Moa-Anderson
• 2000 Erica Takai
• 2000 Ravi Shankar
• 1999 Silvia Marinache
• 1998 Robert Leon Mauck

The Yuen-huo Hung & Chao-chin Huang Award in Biomedical Engineering has been endowed to honor the grandfathers of Professor Clark T. Hung in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. His paternal grandfather Yuen-huo Hung was a surgeon in Taipei who was renowned for his practice of medicine and for his compassion toward patients.  Professor Hung's maternal grandfather Chao-chin Huang was a famous politician in Taiwan who dedicated his life to the citizens of his country, serving as mayor of Taipei, Speaker of the Taiwan Provincial Assembly and Consul General to the United States.

This award is given to a graduating doctoral student in the Department of Biomedical Engineering who embodies the collective attributes of these distinguished individuals. This student will have demonstrated great potential for making significant contributions to the fields of biomedical engineering and public health, and for serving as an ambassador of biomedical engineering.

Recipients of the Yuen-huo Hung & Chao-chin Huang Award:

• 2024 Rosa Vincent and Divya Bhansali
• 2023 Stephen Lee and Naveed Tavakol
• 2022 Timothy Jacobsen and Meghan Pinezich
• 2021 Salman Ehtesham Qasim
• 2020 Maria Eleni Karakatsani and Robert Stefani
• 2019 Milos Spasic, Eben Estell, and YehHsing (Sima) Lao
• 2018 Holly Wobma
• 2017 Shih-Ying Wu
• 2016 Amy Lam
• 2015 Amandine Godier-Furnemont
• 2014 Andrea R. Tan
• 2013 Jean Provost
• 2012 Yao-Sheng Tung and Molly Lara Flexman
• 2011 Yuk Kee Cheung
• 2010 Kristen Moffat
• 2009 Evren Azeloglu
• 2008 Kenneth Wayman Ng

New in 2020, the Outstanding Achievement Award in Biomedical Engineering Master's Studies is given to a Master of Science (MS) student in biomedical engineering who best exhibits academic excellence, visionary leadership, and outstanding promise for the future of innovation and engineering in medicine.

Recipients of the Outstanding Achievement Award in Biomedical Engineering Master's Studies:

• 2024 Vanessa Li and Michael Pressler
• 2023 Ji Xiang and Jessica (Lucas) Wang
• 2022 Mona Ziaei
• 2021 Lauren Friend
• 2020 Yiela Saperstein

George Vincent Wendell Memorial Award

• 2023 Elías Tzoc-Pacheco

Campbell Award

• 2021 Archana Murali

Friedman Award:

• 2022 Kaveri Thakoor
• 2019 Yeh-Hsing (Sima) Lao
• 2016 Amy Lam

Graduate Student Life Leadership Award (Ph.D.):

• 2021 Shreya Narasimhan
• 2020 Christopher Mosher

Graduate Student Life Leadership Award (M.S.):

• 2020 Ashritha Eadara

Jaffe Prize:

• 2019 Stephanie Rager

King’s Crown Leadership & Excellence Awards

Civic Responsibility

• 2021 Anisha Tyagi

Columbia Spirit

• 2023 Elvin Canseco

Community Building

• 2023 Athena Pagon
• 2021 Özgenur Çelik

Principled Action

• 2023 Daniel Garcia

Health and Wellness

• 2023 Lori Luo
• 2022 Özgenur Çelik

Scholar Athlete Award:

• 2019 Rachel Alexander