Meet Kristina Voronov

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, Spring 2020 graduates were unable to present their capstones.

My INDS Degree

I chose to pursue an Individualized Study degree in Medical Device Development because INDS provided me the opportunity
to focus on the interdisciplinarity of the medical device development field and explore all the various disciplines that affect how it functions as a whole. Medical device developers are the community of individuals who create devices for specific health care needs, overseeing the process of development from the creation of the concept through prototyping to re-evaluation of the device for effectiveness. They work on addressing problems such as the one my great-grandfather experienced a decade ago. He was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor in 2007 when I was just ten years old. I was devastated because medical technology was not advanced enough; the doctors couldn’t help him and he died. To understand how to build medical devices, I will be using various fields of study to guide me in creating my degree plan. Engineering will mostly consist
of mechanical engineering classes, supplemented with a computer engineering class and a programming certification I plan on getting after UMBC.

Degree Mentors

•  Tiffany Gierasch, Chemistry and Biochemistry
•  Timmie Topoleski, Lopez, Mechanical Engineering
  Professional
• Steven McAlpine, Individualized Study

Post Graduation Plans

Immediately after graduation, I will continue building my
shadowing experience with internships to help build my resume and experience working with a variety of medical devices to improve my marketability. My long-term goal is to become a biomedical engineer. While biomedical engineering is a very large field, using an INDS degree, I will be able to specialize in medical device development and to serve my great-grandfather’s memory. I couldn’t help him when I was a child, but I plan on helping as many people as I can with the skills I obtain throughout my educational and professional career.

Courses In My INDS Degree

✅ Understanding Life Sciences: By understanding the life sciences and how they function, I can determine how a piece of technology can influence or affect the body and its natural processes. (BIOL 251, 302, 303, 397 / CHEM 351)

✅ Analyzing and Modeling Medical Solutions:: Engineers use data and analysis to develop new technologies properly and efficiently. With this knowledge, I can produce accurate and effective medical solutions. (MATH 225/BIOL 313/ STAT 350)

✅Designing and Building Technology: Technology: I can use the knowledge gained in engineering courses to build a machine while understanding the restrictions based upon the materials used. (ENME 204, 217, 220, 221, 304 /CMPE 306)

✅Individualized Study: INDS will provide me the ability to bridge the gap in all of the information and knowledge provided in the above areas. (INDS 330, 335, 399, 430, 480, 490)