Ron Perrone Jr., Biomedical Engineering Alum

Degrees
Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering  (2015)
Master of Science in Biiomedical Engineering (2017)
PhD in Biomedical Engineering (2022) 

Current Residence
Memphis, TN

Current Employer
Medtronic Spine & Biologics

What influenced your decision to attend Herff College of Engineering?
My college career followed a slightly different path than what was typical for most individuals straight out of high school. I did not attend college right after high school and was looking to make a later in life career change, with the intent of getting involved in the world of medical devices. To make this a realization, a college education was the ticket I needed to make that change, which could then secure a financially stable future in an exciting career that was more than just a means to an end. However, I was a 34-year-old happily married father of three small children, solidly rooted in Memphis and was limited with respect to college choices by location, not to mention by budget as well. As a father of three small children, it was important that I attained a degree as quickly as I could so I was available to work as soon as I could if needed. I started my college career at Southwest Community College where I secured my first degree, an Associates of Science, which had a University Parallel program through a partnership with the University of Memphis that assured all credits would transfer so long as I finished the associate’s degree. Luck was on my side as the pursuit of the bachelor’s degree took me to The University of Memphis via the partnership with Southwest Community College, considering the University was directly located right in the middle of one of the world’s largest hubs for the medical device industry. My intent was to attend The University of Memphis until I attained the bachelor’s degree, then hit the road running in pursuit of that industry gig. Little did I know the bachelor’s degree was just the beginning of my experience at The University of Memphis, which turned into a 10-year long journey in the pursuit of educational excellence, which resulted in a few publications, a Master of Science degree and what I thought was an unattainable goal in my life, a PhD. All of this was made possible because of the recognition by the faculty members at The University of Memphis to foster the drive I had, which allowed me to reach my highest potential; one that I didn’t even know was there.

How did Herff prepare you for your career?
Memphis is a hub for some of the most innovative and influential biomedical device companies in the world. The Biomedical Engineering Department in the Herff College of Engineering at the University of Memphis and joint program with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, has established partnerships with these giants in the biomedical device industry, which provides a symbiotic relationship where the colleges can tailor their curriculum to teach the most current, relevant skills that are in high demand by today's industry. This provided the excellent opportunity to learn the latest, necessary skills required to thrive in today's industry and presented a unique opportunity to get directly involved with these companies through internship opportunities, mentorship programs and other opportunities that allowed me to build a network directly with individuals who worked within the industry. The Biomedical Engineering Program at the University of Memphis checked all the boxes to provide an excellent education that gave me the necessary tools I needed to be competitive in today’s high-tech biomedical device industry and I proudly represent the University of Memphis as an engineer at one of the world’s most well-known medical device companies, right here in Memphis. I work along several University of Memphis Alumni who are actively engineering solutions to restore health to individuals in need.

What skills or knowledge did you learn throughout the program that you found most helpful in your career?
My time as an undergraduate taught me that I had what it takes to work hard to learn the complex and diverse subjects that make up the fields of biological sciences and engineering associated with biomedical engineering. The extensive and challenging undergraduate curriculum included sufficient biology and engineering content to gain the important skillsets needed to start a successful career in the medical device industry. However, the master’s degree is where I really learned how to apply these skills, through the lens of the scientific method. My master’s thesis was a highly technical dive into the practical use of advanced mathematics, to characterize the biological differentiation of cartilage into highly organized, calcified structures that develop specific geometries that have specific mechanical functions, which had not been previously reported in the literature. During the PhD, I took an even deeper dive into the subject and ultimately developed a computational model that demonstrated how biological geometric development of natural mechanical mechanisms of resistance to joint reaction forces in the adolescent human hip, are extremely important with respect to the childhood condition slipped capital femoral epiphysis. This disorder, for which the etiology is not well understood, is an extremely painful condition where the femoral head of a child’s femur slips in relation to the femur during the developmental stage of life where growth plates have not yet closed and can result in complete arrest of the femur’s longitudinal growth. Our contributions to the literature will hopefully help add clarity to the subject in time. However, what I learned during this period of my life extends far beyond academic accomplishments and has completely changed how I evaluate observations of the world around me. I often utilize the skills learned during my educational career, through practical application in everyday aspects of my life, which often have nothing to do with biomedical engineering and I take full advantage of opportunities to share this way of thinking with my children whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Who was your most impactful professor? Why?
The most influential professor during my time at The University of Memphis who absolutely had the largest impact on me was undoubtably Professor John L. Williams. I spent the better part of seven years studying under his mentorship, working in his lab during part of my undergraduate time, along with studying under him during the master’s and PhD. I could never express the gratitude and respect I have for him as a well-respected authority in the field of biomechanics, as a mentor, a co-author and a friend. I could write a book on how he was able to teach me to challenge myself to rise to the highest levels of expectation with regards to research, teaching and how I approach and evaluate observations in life, but it was his ability to get me to truly see the forest for the trees that I am forever grateful for. Words just don’t justify what he did for me during those years of working together and I truly hope he knows how appreciative I am for everything he did for me. I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to study under his excellent advisement.

Were you involved in student groups? If so, which one(s)?
Time was limited for me considering I was a happily married father of three small children. When I wasn’t studying or writing, I was tackling the everyday life needs that are present when raising a family, so unfortunately, I was not available to really get involved in student groups outside of academic honor societies. However, that is not to say those opportunities didn’t present themselves, I just spent any extra time I had as a devoted husband, little league dad, coaching kid’s sports or volunteering my time as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, for which I was a proud member for 20 years before retiring earlier this year.

What support(s) did you have during your time as a college student? How did you keep focused on the goal?
My family was my biggest cheering section and gave me the huge support I needed to see the 12-year journey through to the end. Their support made it easy, and we all believed that this was not only important for me, but for our family as well. I also had a lot of support from the faculty members involved with the program, taking the time to lay out a pathway that took full advantage of my drive as I progressed through the program, which eventually turned the recognized potential into three awarded degrees from The University of Memphis.

What was your greatest memory from your time at Herff?
My greatest memory from my time at The University of Memphis is largely the development of my relationship with my mentor, Professor John L. Williams. However, I have many fond memories of my time at The University of Memphis, which includes the camaraderie that developed with fellow students going through the program, working on team projects, laboratory work and research. I have very fond memories of many of the faculty members and their classes they taught. My whole experience was filled with exciting, challenging and rewarding times and I am grateful for the experiences. That is not to say there wasn’t disappointment, but my failed efforts were often where I learned the most and the environment allowed you to fail and find a way to pick up the pieces and rebuild.

What advice would you give those considering enrolling in Herff College of Engineering?
My advice to anyone enrolling in The University of Memphis, particularly the biomedical engineering program, would be to recognize all the opportunities you will have at your disposal and to take full advantage of all of them. Lean on the faculty to guide you through the program and help you to reach your fullest potential and trust the process. These people have the experience and knowledge to give you exactly what you need to not only prepare you for a successful future, but to completely change the course of your future, not only to just achieve what you aim to, but to excede far beyond what you thought were your limits.

What do you know now that you wish you had known during your time at Herff?
During my time at The University of Memphis I wish I would have trusted the learning process throughout the bachelor’s and master’s degrees like I did during the time I spent working on the PhD. It is hard to see the larger picture when you are learning how to see the forest for the trees, and at the time I was often too occupied with trying to get to the answer when I should have spent more time understanding the process it took to arrive at the answer. Had I known just that little piece of knowledge, I likely could have saved myself some frustration induced headaches. But you don’t know what you don’t know, and I wouldn’t have been able to really know how to trust the learning process had I not gone through some of those frustrating times and failures that I experienced early in my college career. Knowing what I know now, it would have been nice to have trusted in the process of learning, but I think it was equally as important to go through all that it finally took to really trust the learning process.

Was your Herff experience worth the price? If you could do it over again, what would you do differently?
My experience at The University of Memphis was worth far more than the price of tuition. It was life changing in ways that extend far beyond the excellent education provided to me. I learned how to learn, and during that process, I learned a lot about myself and what I was capable of, which far exceeded my highest expectations. I don’t think you can put a price on that. I can honestly say I wouldn’t change a thing about my experience at The University of Memphis.