Meet our Graduate Students: Gage Greening

Gage Greening, PhD candidate

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When considering options for graduate school, what made you choose the University of Arkansas? I got my undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Arkansas. After participating in undergraduate research with Dr. Timothy Muldoon during my junior and senior year, I decided to stay and work towards a PhD. The school and Fayetteville area are terrific, and being part of a new and expanding department is exciting.

What's the best thing about being a grad student here at the University of Arkansas? The best thing about being a graduate student at the University of Arkansas, specifically in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, is interacting with all the new young and energetic faculty members that have been hired over the past 5 years. The faculty have a diverse range of biomedical interests and backgrounds and all want to progress our department. 

What's something people might be surprised to know about graduate life at the University of Arkansas? Although our student population is growing, everybody knows everybody. Most students are collaborating on projects with students from other biomedical engineering labs. We have the freedom to work, to some degree, on a variety of projects even outside the direct scope of our Thesis or Dissertation projects.

Are there any faculty members you've had particularly good experiences working with? All the faculty are terrific from my experience. In particular, Dr. Timothy Muldoon has been a great adviser. Under his direction, I've become a better technical science writer and have gained the confidence to individually pursue research leads.

What would you tell an undergraduate student considering UArk for graduate school? An undergraduate laboratory experience is a necessity to prove a desire for pursuing a further research-based education. At the end of an undergraduate career, the student should know what sub-type of biomedical engineering laboratory he/she is interested in, whether that be in optics and imaging, tissue mechanics, cancer therapy, etc. Once this is known, talk to the faculty here to form a connection, and if unfamiliar with the environment at this University, talk to and even shadow a graduate student for a day. Visit Fayetteville. All of the faculty and students are wonderful and friendly people who are always willing to help.