Discoveries that I Made by Presenting my Prosthetic Research

I received the Undergraduate Student Scholarship Support Award for my research project titled “Grasp Taxonomy of 3D Printable Prosthetic Hand Designs”. The award was provided for travel reimbursement for the Biomedical Engineering Society Annual conference in 2018 that was located in Atlanta, Georgia. In order to accommodate the travel expenses to present the research at the conference, the Whitaker Center Mini-Grant award was also applied for.

Set up of one of the conference halls.

Mention of my research poster in conference handbook (SAT-628).

Being able to attend the conference I was able to be exposed to a variety of research in the Bioengineering field beyond the topic on which I focused my research on. However, I was particularly impressed with the research presentation I attended from the University of Utah which also dealt with 3D printed prosthetics. Having the exposure to research being conducted outside our university pushed me to pursue my research efforts outside of my comfort zone and gave me a new perspective on the work I was conducting beforehand.

University of Utah Poster that I thought was interesting.

Presenting at the conference provided me with the ability to receive constructive criticism that further helped me to improve my research project. After presenting my research poster at the conference I was able to meet individuals who not only gave me feedback on my research but also presented me with options on how to proceed after I finished my degree at Florida Gulf Coast University. I was interested in learning about how I can professionally expand my knowledge with several different master’s programs or PhD programs. Speaking to students who were either completing or have already completed graduate programs gave me a sense of relief and motivation that I could also be in their positions. It suddenly became less daunting then it previously appeared to be before the conference. The students/ graduates who spoke about their experiences provided me with comfort by expressing that they also felt intimidated, but being engaged in research helped to pave their success in their programs.

Student: Viktoriya Yakonska

Mentor: Dr. Lura, Derek

                                                                                            Department of Bioengineering

Posing with Dr. Lura in front of poster.