Meet Three National Merit Scholars in Biomedical Engineering

Each year, approximately 1.5 million students apply for the National Merit Scholarship and less than one out of every 100 entrants receive the award. This fall, the University of Cincinnati's College of Engineering and Applied Science opens its doors to three of these talented National Merit Scholars

—Aditi Jain, Alyssa Nelson and Alan McPherson—

all are entering the

biomedical engineering program

as freshmen.

These scholars are about to embark upon a multidimensional engineering education that spurs limitless opportunities. With a vast array of career choices, from designing next generation prosthestics to discovering applications for nanotechnology, CEAS engineering students enjoy not only the benefits of already having work experience but also a nearly perfect employment placement rate upon graduation.

Additionally, UC was just ranked

No. 1 for ROI

(Return on Investment) out of all Ohio public universities and for CEAS graduates, the ROI is even higher. CEAS students are financially sound at the outset as their starting salaries range from $53,800 to $97,900 and, as mentioned in an

earlier article

, their post-graduation earnings surpass college expenses by more than 30 times.

As they commit to and join CEAS’ mission to engineer better, two of these students,

Alyssa Nelson

and

Alan McPherson

plan to use their time and talents to make a difference in people’s lives.

Incoming freshman and National Merit Scholar

Alyssa Nelson

graduated from Dublin Jerome High School in Dublin, Ohio. The biomedical engineering program allows Nelson to pursue her interest in physics while fulfilling her desire to help others.

Also fascinated by languages, Nelson hopes to accompany her major with a minor in Spanish. Outside of the classroom, she likes to tap into her creative side. Nelson is an experienced pianist and enjoys creating her own music.

When offered a Cincinnatus Excellence Scholarship, Nelson admitted that her choice of college was a no-brainer. She reflects, “I had always been aware of CEAS’ renowned engineering program but UC became simply irresistible once that opportunity presented itself.

I can’t wait to begin the biomedical engineering program as it will allow me to solve health problems and improve the lives of others. I’m also interested in this field because my family has a history of breast cancer, and I want to do all that I can to help prevent this kind of suffering and feeling of helplessness from plaguing others.”

Alan McPherson

, incoming biomedical engineering freshman and National Merit Scholar, comes to CEAS from Wadsworth High School in Wadsworth, Ohio. “Biomedical engineering was a natural choice for me since I’ve always been intrigued by the challenges of calculus, biology and chemistry,” he explains.

Aside from becoming a National Merit Finalist, McPherson has also achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, was a member of the National Honor Society, performed at the highest level in his school’s band and earned a perfect ACT score in the math category. He fills his time participating in jazz band, student council and youth group.

McPherson says, “I chose UC for three reasons: 1) CEAS’ highly regarded

co-op program

, 2) the National Merit Scholarship, and 3) I really liked the overall feel of the school. I can definitely see myself making memories and life-long friends here.”

McPherson adds, “My dad was the main reason behind my major selection. He had cancer when I was a kid, and that made me want to make a difference in the lives of all cancer patients and their families.”

With their talent and determination supported by their head-start in the workforce, these scholars will undoubtedly leave their mark in not only biomedical engineering but also the world.

• Apply to UC's undergraduate biomedical engineering program.