I am a current senior studying biomedical engineering on the bioelectronics track and I have been a research assistant in the Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Engineering Center (OREC) since my sophomore year. In this role, I work alongside lab staff and our clinical partners to develop adaptive technology for children with differing abilities in Wisconsin. My supervisor, Molly Erickson, has done a great job leading this program and opening many doors for engineering students like me to gain hands-on experience.
One of our programs is Go Baby Go! Milwaukee, a partnership with Children’s Wisconsin to provide self-initiated mobility through battery-powered, ride-on cars for children with limited mobility. Through Go Baby Go! Milwaukee, I am able to go through the steps of designing and building adaptive ride-on cars for children with disabilities. When building a car, research assistants work alongside physical and occupational therapists to identify what the child needs in their car, experience user interactions with our cars firsthand, and complete the mechanical and electrical adaptations. This is a unique experience because we get to be involved with the whole process. From this partnership and the help of Marquette University research assistants, Go Baby Go! Milwaukee has been able to adapt and deliver over 300 ride-on cars to eligible families in Wisconsin.
In addition to Go Baby Go! Milwaukee, our lab supports the Inclusive Play: Toys For All program, a collaboration between Marquette University and Penfield Children’s Center to provide a variety of toys and functional devices for children with disabilities. For the past three years, OREC has hosted a toy build day for children with disabilities. I have been lucky enough to help put together and support this function for the past two years.
The toy build days are hosted on two Saturdays during the Fall semester close to winter break. It brings undergraduate engineering students, graduate occupational therapy students, and high school robotics students together to adapt over 240 toys annually. These adaptations include making electrical modifications to off-the-shelf toys so that the toys can be used with therapy switches. Every year there are new and returning toys from the previous year including dice rollers, clip on fans, Peak-a-Boo Bears, and so many more. This is a great experience for all who participate because it makes a true difference in our community.
Being part of the leadership team during these build days has been an incredible experience. I have gained organizational skills, communication skills, and learned how to teach non-engineers how to solder, use heat guns, and other engineering skills. It is always so rewarding seeing a group of people come together with all different backgrounds and skills to create something that is so impactful.
While working with Inclusive Play, I have met a lot of wonderful people in industry including physical and occupational therapists, engineers, and speech language pathologists. The one that has truly impacted my life is Vladimir Bjelic. Vladimir is a speech-language pathologist at Penfield Children’s Center and is Marquette’s main contact for Inclusive Play: Toys for All.
Through my time at Marquette University, I have been part of many clubs, jobs, and classes. However, I always say Go Baby Go! Milwaukee, Molly Erickson, and Vladimir Bjelic have truly impacted me the most through the opportunities they have provided, hands-on experiences I have gained, and the true difference that I am making every day when going to work.
