Dear BME Undergraduates,<\/p>\n
I hope everyone is having a great summer so far, and that you are enjoying some small steps towards society reopening again!
\nFirst, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as your new program director. Through courses, the co-op program, and senior design, I have had the pleasure of getting to know many of you, and I am thrilled to now play a larger role in the development of our undergraduate program and in helping our students. I am working closely with Drs. Langrana and Androulakis who have previously served in this role and who are providing amazing mentorship while I learn the ropes.
\nSecond, I would like to provide some additional information following President Holloway\u2019s email regarding Rutgers remote instruction policy for the fall. As a department, we are disappointed that we will not see many of you in person. However, we can assure you that the department is working throughout the summer to ensure that your courses are prepared for remote instruction. Further, we will take steps to ensure consistent communication through advising and events like town halls where information can be shared.
\nI know several of you have questions and have been reaching out to faculty regarding the status of different BME courses and training opportunities. Here are the current plans:
\n\uf0b7 All BME courses will be remote, including labs
\n\uf0b7 Senior Design lecture will be remote. However, the department has requested that senior design project
\nwork to be permitted on campus and is developing a process and guidelines for project approval from administration. We are hopeful that, with permission and adherence to strict guidelines, students may come on campus to utilize lab resources for their projects.
\n\uf0b7 We do not yet have a status regarding undergraduate research on campus for Fall 2020. Students may still engage in research remotely (via literature searches, experimental design, modeling, etc.) however it is unknown at the moment if you can be in the labs for these purposes.
\n\uf0b7 Concerns regarding housing or other personal situations should be addressed to Dean Song or Dean Rosen.
\n\uf0b7 We are waiting for guidance from Rutgers administration regarding our in-residence international undergraduate students with respect to the recent announcement from ICE. Please be assured that we in BME will do everything in our power to protect the interests of our students.
\nI know it is frustrating to not have all the answers right now, but at least we got the answer to our biggest question this summer regarding remote instruction in the fall. I promise you that additional information will be shared once it is received and reviewed. In the meantime, hang tight and enjoy your summer. Fall semester will be here soon enough!
\nRegards,<\/p>\n
Kristen Labazzo<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"