Rohit Ananth
	Bioengineering (MS), Engineering Science (BS)
	Spanish, Bioethics & Medical Humanities
	Class of 2013

Hometown: State College, Pennsylvania

High School: State College Area High School

Extracurricular Activities: Engineering Ambassadors, Residence Life, THON

Internship/Co-op Experience: Johnson & Johnson

Research Experience: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Why did you choose to come to Penn State? Growing up in Happy Valley, I have been a Nittany Lion since the day I was born. (Rumor even has it that the room I was delivered in had a view of Beaver Stadium). I was pretty much destined to continue my education at Penn State. From a reputable engineering curriculum and extensive research facilities, to a diverse student population and a beautiful campus, Penn State seemed to have everything I wanted. Coming into college, I knew that my interests did not stop at engineering. I wanted to expand my knowledge by taking classes in the fields of Spanish, bioethics and other humanities, and knowing that I would be able to do so at Penn State was satisfying. Penn State’s size creates many opportunities that might not be available elsewhere. Specifically in the College of Engineering, the variety of departments makes for a diverse engineering education, with students able to take classes over a varied curriculum. I feel as if the College of Engineering at Penn State offers the best of both worlds— a small college feeling within the larger university.

What has been your best memory as an engineering student? In 2009, I did a five-month co-op with Johnson & Johnson in Malvern, PA. I started off working alongside scientists and engineers to redesign various purification processes of a cell protein material for the development of a new weight-loss drug. I later worked on my own project for the drug, which was to create a new filtration step based off of the existing process. Although I had previous research experiences at Penn State, working in industry gave me a “real-world” look into research and its practical applications. I would advise any engineering student to look into doing a co-op or summer internship, even if your future plans may not include industry.

What advice would you give a first-year engineer? Being an engineering student does not mean that you only do school work. Take some time to check out the many clubs and activities that Penn State has to offer, both academic and non-academic. Play IM sports, participate in Penn State’s Dance Marathon (the largest student-run philanthropy in the world), or try a new hobby! Joining a club is a great way to meet new people and to unwind from classes and studying. No matter what your interests are, there is definitely a group for you!
Try and get involved with some sort of research as soon as possible. Go to department Web sites and read about some of the projects that professors are currently working on and then arrange to meet with them to learn more and to see if they might have any openings for you. Whether you are helping graduate students with their projects or doing something completely on your own, research is a great way to develop your skills and interests in engineering!

What do you plan to do after graduation? Medical School/Research

What has been your best experience outside of engineering at Penn State? In November of 2011, I was privileged to accompany the Penn State Hershey Children’s Heart Group on a two-week medical service trip to Guayaquil, Ecuador. This medical team provides charitable heart surgeries to Ecuadorian children who come from families that cannot afford this level of medical care. During the two weeks, I spent a lot of the time in the Operating Room, observing the various cardiac procedures. Knowing Spanish really helped me communicate with the Ecuadorian doctors and nurses, and also allowed me to translate between the American and Ecuadorian medical teams. I spent some time in the Intensive Care Unit assisting the American nurses in communicating with the parents of the patients, giving them instructions on how to care for their child after leaving the hospital. I also spent time in the Children’s Ward with the kids who were recovering from surgery, playing games, coloring and reading stories with them. On the last day, I had the opportunity to “scrub-in” and assist on the final surgery of the trip- I was at the operating table for the six hour procedure, which corrected both an atrial and a ventricular septal defect in a two-year old Ecuadorian girl. The entire trip was an unbelievable experience!