BME students win SFB 2023 Education Challenge

BME graduate student Julia Strecker, and BME undergraduate students Steven Go and Dylan Thompson, designed and delivered a learning activity "Saving a smile: Biomaterials to Save Your Teeth" to 6th graders at Booker T. Washington Middle School in Memphis, TN. After a brief introduction to the biomaterials discipline and use of materials for implant devices, the 6th graders learned about dental cavities and their impacts on health. The students then did a hands on activity to learn about what properties a biomaterial would need to have to be effective at treating a dental cavity, including hardness for wear resistance, space-filling to prevent secondary cavities, and color for aesthetics. Everyone had a great time and there was a significant increase of the 6th graders' interest in science/engineering careers (from ~20% to ~55%). Julia and Steven entered and presented their education project at the 2023 Society for Biomaterials (SFB) Education Challenge competition, and won 1st place and $1500 cash prize from the Society for having developed a module with "significant potential for educational impact." Congratulations!