BioE Alumni Symposium
A 1½-day symposium bringing together alumni, students, and faculty for keynotes, networking, lab and campus tours, professional development sessions, and discussions that strengthen connections and showcase the future of bioengineering.
AGENDA
Day 1: Thursday, April 23, 2026
~ Kickoff and Networking ~
- 2:00 p.m. - Opening Remarks
- BioE Program Deputy Director, Levi Wood
- Organizers: Ivana Parker, PhD and Lauren Priddy, PhD
- 2:30 p.m. - Icebreaker / Networking Roundtable Discussions
- 3:30 p.m. - Opening Keynote Presentation: “From Discovery to Impact: Bioengineering innovation at the Frontier of Women’s Health” - Distinguished BioE Alumnus, David Sotto, PhD, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- 5:00 p.m. - Networking Dinner, Graduate Student Poster Session
Day 2: Friday, April 24, 2026
~ Research, Professional Branding, and Collaborations ~
- 9:30 a.m. – Damon Williams, PhD, Associate Dean, College of Engineering
- 11:00 a.m. - Campus tour- leaving from IBB
- 12:00 p.m. - Networking lunch begins
- 12:30 p.m. - Lunch and Learn Panel: Exploring Bioengineering Career Pathways - Distinguished BioE Alumni:
- Michael Tanenbaum, PhD, Emory BioFoundry Institute
- Laura Weinstock, PhD, Sandia National Labs
- Sharon Sonenblum, Research Professor, Nursing, Emory University
- Laura Hansen, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Emory University
- Kendreze Holland, PhD, Post Doc at Georgia Tech
- Yogi Patel, PhD, CEO, Co-Founder- Focused Cryo, Inc & CEO, Co-Founder- TopoDx, Inc
- 1:30 p.m. - Interactive Session: Building Your Professional Brand to Increase Impact – Ivana Parker, PhD – Assistant Professor, University of Florida
- 2:30 p.m. – Lab tours
- 3:30 p.m. - Closing Keynote Presentation: “From PhD to Medical Device Industry: A Career Beyond Academia” - Distinguished BioE Alumnus, Dave Dumbauld, PhD – Senior Product Manager -Calyxo, Inc
5:00 p.m. - Closing Dinner Reception
Symposium Organizers:
Lauren Priddy, Ivana Parker, Laura Paige