March is Women’s History month, and our team has been celebrating and honoring our female team members all month long. Earlier in March we introduced you to Victoria and Jill, two talented engineering students who are current interns with MediSurge. Jill and Victoria, along with other team members, have been assisting in our collaborative 3D additive manufacturing research project with aMDI.

Today we would like to highlight two additional members of our team, Rebecca and Breanna.

Rebecca Jakob

Rebecca is a current student at Grand Valley State University who is majoring in mechanical engineering with a double minor in biomedical engineering and mathematics. She is slated to graduate in 2020 and plans to pursue a career within the biomedical engineering field in prosthetic or device design development.

Throughout her time as a student, Rebecca’s passion for engineering has only continued to grow. She has built numerous self-functioning robots. Rebecca has also participated in the NASA Microgravity NExT design challenge where she and other students developed a design for a Mini-Arm and Effector. This device was designed to attach onto a ROV vehicle, and to be used in explorations underneath ice-covered surfaces of “ocean worlds.”

At MediSurge, Rebecca assists in developing and implementing design verification and validation protocol and reports, creating engineering specifications, and working with manufacturing to validate new products and improve existing processes.

When asked about advice that she has for other women in the field, Rebecca said, “Women have to present themselves as equal and never be afraid to stand up for themselves or their ideas. It is also important to support and encourage other women who are pursuing engineering as a career.”

Breanna Andrews

Breanna, who is majoring in product design and manufacturing engineering at Grand Valley, is set to graduate in 2020. Her initial drive to study engineering came from her passion for helping people and wanting to solve problems.

When she was a senior in high school, Breanna decided that she wanted to become an engineer. She enrolled in the Histological Technician program at the Capital Area Career Center, which works with Lansing Community College to offer high school students the opportunity to get a head start on their college education.

After coming to Grand Valley in 2015, Breanna worked alongside a team to develop a sensory swing for a six-year-old girl with microcephaly and cerebral palsy. The swing was designed to teach the child cause and effect with the use of a button. The process of swinging was also beneficial for overall balance and spatial awareness.

Breanna has had many hands-on experiences with MediSurge, and in addition to assisting our engineering teams, she has also worked worked closely with quality/regulatory, supply chain management, and associate companies.

Breanna understands that there are hurdles for women in the engineering field and stated, “There will always be people who do not believe that women belong in this field, but we do. Don’t give up on your dreams, hold your head up high with confidence, and believe in yourself.”

We are thankful to have such a talented team who is passionate about the work that we do. Our team understands that women are still largely underrepresented in the field as a whole, but we are proud to be making strides when it comes to narrowing the gender gap in the engineering industry.

For more information on MediSurge, our team, or future career opportunities here in West Michigan, contact us today.