President - Evelyn Yatckoske

Evelyn is a third year PhD candidate developing miniaturized optoelectronics and biophotonics systems for the study of neural circuits. She is co-advised by Gordon Smith and Tay Netoff. In her free time, she enjoys playing her musical instruments, playing tabletop role-playing games, baking, and skateboarding. Evelyn joined GWBME because she is passionate about fostering a sense of community and support among underrepresented groups in STEM. This being her third year as President; she is excited to continue expanding the programming offered by GWBME to support this goal.

VP of Professional Development - Mara Manolescu

Mara is a second-year PhD student studying the biomechanics of the uterus in generating contractions for labor and delivery. She is in the Pregnancy Research & Engineering Group advised by Dr. Kyoko Yoshida. When not in lab, she enjoys reading, running, and trying new Minneapolis restaurants. Mara joined GWBME to help her peers grow professionally and access opportunities outside of lab. She is excited to contribute to the BME community at the University.

VP of Professional Development - Mehrta Farsad

Mehrta is a second-year PhD student in the Johnson lab and is investigating the neuroscience behind symptoms of Parkinson's disease using deep brain stimulation. She is a figure skater and a swimmer. She enjoys board games, hosting, and camping. She joined GWBME to help pave the way for women in engineering by expanding their professional networks and access to future industry opportunities.

VP of Community Outreach - Amy Powers

Amy Powers is a fourth-year PhD candidate in the Ogle Lab, where she investigates how to advance cardiac tissue models through multicellularity and extracellular matrix components. Outside the lab, she enjoys long-distance running, video games, reading, and playing Dungeons & Dragons. Amy joined GWBME to help foster a strong, supportive community and is passionate about empowering others through mentorship and collaboration.

VP of Community Outreach - Peyton Clark

Peyton is a third year PhD candidate studying breast cancer dormancy in Dr. Grace Bushnell's lab. In their free time, Peyton enjoys knitting, reading, and spending time with friends. Peyton joined GWBME to make connections in the community and help provide opportunities for young students to learn about STEM and engineering. She hopes to help foster a relationship between GWBME and the surrounding community.

VP of Communications - Kenna McRae

VP of Communications - Makaha Harmon

Makaha is a third-year PhD candidate studying non-invasive neuromodulation in the Opitz Lab. Outside of the lab, she enjoys biking, collecting dusty old records, gardening, and spending time with her incredibly perfect dog, Ernest. She joined GWBME to bring people together and help strengthen a community that fosters belonging.

Treasurer - Kaitlyn Reagen

Kaitlyn is a first-year PhD student in the Barocas lab, where she uses multi-scale computational modeling to study sex differences in the vascular system. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, hiking, swimming, and spending time with her cat. She joined GWBME because she is passionate about women's health education and connecting with the BME community.

Media Coordinator - Emily Liao

Emily is a second year PhD student in the Akkin lab studying optics and tissue structure using polarization sensitive OCT. Outside of lab, she enjoys art, yoga, and outdoor activities. Emily joined GWBME to help foster a welcoming community that supports connection and collaboration.