Jenny Jarvis Pallme, Biomedical Engineering Alum

Degree(s) 
MS (2014), PhD (2018)

Current Residence 
Memphis, Tennessee 

Current Employer 
Stryker

What influenced your decision to attend Herff College of Engineering?

I was attracted to the wide variety of disciplines within the BME program. I received an email from Dr. Lindner (the professor who would become my PhD advisor) requesting a phone call to discuss research opportunities and we connected instantly. The knowledge and passion he had for his research was evident and I knew that he would be an advisor who could guide me in becoming a good researcher and a knowledgeable scientist in my future career.

How did Herff prepare you for your career?

My education and experience at the university gave me confidence to raise my voice with ideas, challenges, and opportunities, which allows me to be a critical team player in my career today. I am able to explain projects and problems in a way others can understand as this was an essential skill when conducting and presenting research at the graduate level. Additionally, my graduate education improved my communication, presentation, and documentation skills. I suppose when you’re trained to document every single step you take in the research lab, it sets you up nicely to be a good note taker.

What skills or knowledge did you learn throughout the program that you found most helpful in your career?

I learned how to think critically and creatively to tackle challenges. Additionally, I learned the importance of working as a team and leveraging strengths and skillsets from other researchers.

Who was your most impactful professor? Why?

I’m going to cheat and provide two. I consider myself extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to work under Dr. Erno Lindner and Dr. Bradford Pendley. These two are extremely successful and knowledgeable mentors who guided me not only in my academic career but also helped me navigate life in a new city. They never hesitated to answer my questions and offer sage advice. They were invested in me as a person, and it made my time at the university an incredibly meaningful experience that truly shaped me into the person I am today. I still keep in touch with them!

Were you involved in student groups? If so, which one(s)?

President of Alpha Eta Mu Beta, University of Memphis Chapter (2017-2018)
Member of Alpha Eta Mu Beta

What support(s) did you have during your time as a college student? How did you keep focused on the goal?

I had an incredibly supportive lab group. Not only did we share a lab together, but we shared coffee and lunch breaks together and would often discuss our experiments or ideas during this time. Shout out to Dr. Brad Hambly, Dr. Marcin Guzinski, and Dr. Jim Atherton! I hope to have coffee with them again sometime soon! Additionally, my family has always been a huge supporter of my goals. While they lived far away, they were constant cheerleaders and were thrilled to celebrate my successes! I was able to maintain focus knowing I had this supportive community alongside me.

What was your greatest memory from your time at Herff?

After completing my MS in 2014, I received a scholarship to conduct research at Abo Akademi in Abo, Finland. I spent four months learning from top researchers in my field and exploring Finland and Sweden in my spare time. 
In 2017, I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Hungary to attend Matrafured, an international conference focusing on chemical sensors, which was the emphasis of my PhD. I traveled with my entire lab group. What made this trip truly special is that my PhD advisor, Dr. Erno Lindner, is from Hungary so he was able to give us all a special tour of his home country.  The opportunities presented to me during my time at the University of Memphis were unique and absolutely incredible. I know that these opportunities would not have been possible had I studied elsewhere. I truly felt like I had the chance to learn, grow, and advance because of the collaboration and network I found at the university.

What advice would you give those considering enrolling in Herff College of Engineering?

Herff College of Engineering holds such incredible opportunities. If you take advantage of what they offer and go all in – you will be rewarded over and over!

What do you know now that you wish you had known during your time at Herff?

You will get to a point in your journey where people (including your professors) ask you questions about your research because they are curious – not because they are trying to stump you! Take advantage of these conversations!

Was your Herff experience worth the price? If you could do it over again, what would you do differently?

Absolutely! My time at Herff was an incredible opportunity to learn, grow, ask questions, and meet people from all around the world. If I could do it all over again, I would collaborate with other grad students earlier! Everyone is working on such amazing projects across the department and across the university. There’s an opportunity to learn but also to potentially find opportunities to leverage each other’s abilities! (Think co-authors!)