Bioengineering at the University of California, San Diego

(c/o 2021)

Hey everyone! I am so happy that you're here! The Big BENG was created as an initiative to help students succeed in their bioengineering courses; and that’s exactly what I hope to help achieve as a team member. But in addition to that, I really hope that our videos and resources will help bioengineering knowledge and concepts be more accessible to those who are not taking these courses with us. Bioengineering is truly an amazing field, growing so fast; I hope that you will get a taste of that from The Big BENG. My ultimate goal is to contribute to tissue engineering and medicine through research and physician work on the regeneration of burned tissue. In my free time, I love to take dance lessons and watch some good movies with friends. Thank you for tagging along with us on this journey!

Bioengineering at the University of California, San Diego

(c/o 2021)

Hi all! My name is Hope Leng, and I am a Bioengineering: Biotechnology major. I transferred to UCSD in 2018, and I am graduating (hopefully) in June 2021! My goals with the Big BENG are to make sure you spend less time searching for resources and more time actually learning the material. We are just getting started here at The Big BENG, so please have patience as we add more resources and supplemental material for various BENG courses. I really love being involved in mentorship, so I hope to do more outreach programs in the future, in addition to earning my PhD. Right now, I am looking into regenerative medicine and investigating mechanisms behind neurodegenerative diseases. Beyond graduate school, I want to use my BENG knowledge and PhD research experience to design personalized neuroregenerative therapies. Whether I go into industry or academia, my focus will be on delivering theranostics to low-resource communities and increasing access to quality healthcare globally. My hobbies include dancing in my bedroom and taking group selfies on Zoom during quarantine (check back with me when this pandemic ends).

Bioengineering at the University of California, San Diego

(c/o 2020)

Hey everybody! I’m Abbey Ervin and I am majoring in Bioengineering with minors in Biology and Chemistry at UC San Diego. I have a passion for empowering people through education in whatever form that takes on in their personal lives. I hope as a team, we at the Big Beng can give you the keys to success in your bioengineering endeavors! When I’m not in class or working to bring you new material through the Big Beng, you can spot me in the ocean catching some waves (albeit poorly), volunteering at the student-run free health clinic, or working in the Villarreal lab as an undergraduate researcher. My long-term goal is to become a physician and to contribute to the medical field by recognizing clinical needs and meeting them with engineered solutions to improve the quality of life of medical workers and patients. Feel free to reach out to me for additional bioengineering help or advice!

Bioengineering at the University of California, San Diego

(c/o 2021)

Hello! My name is Max Pendleton & I'm a third year transfer student studying bioengineering at UC San Diego. I hope with The Big BENG to bring more awareness to the ever-growing field of bioengineering at colleges all around the world! In my free time I like to go to the beach with my friends and eat Krispy Kreme . I hope to one day become a head & neck surgeon and apply the engineering principles I learned in undergrad to medicine!

Biochemistry at the University of California, San Diego

(c/o 2021)

Oh, hello there! My name is Sarah and in my free time I enjoy raising praying mantids and building knick knacks in SolidWorks. Other than that I am a Chemistry and Biochemistry major at UC San Diego who loves jumping into other disciplines and learning how fundamental chemical and physical principles are applied and utilized within that subject. Through working with The Big Beng I hope to help students of all majors further their understanding of bioengineering topics and feel more confident in their ability to learn new challenging course material. Lehitraot!

Bioengineering at the University of California, San Diego

(c/o 2022)

Hi! I’m Dalila, and I transferred from Cañada College to UCSD in 2019. As a Bioengineering: Bioengineering major, I understand the very real need for supplemental educational content in those challenging upper div classes. I’ve received a lot of support and used many resources to get to where I am, so giving back and paying it forward is practically my mantra! That’s why I’m excited to work with The Big BENG to fill that BioEng resources gap and support you all! My current career trajectory is medical school-- I’m interested in practicing as an OB/GYN and working in female health tech research. If you want to know the “why,” ask me about my two uteruses! In my spare time, I love gardening, reading mystery novels, sewing sustainable clothes, and practicing my French by talking to my succulents. Parle français avec moi, s’il te plait!

Bioengineering at the University of California, San Diego

(c/o 2023)

Hiii! I’m Jerry Wu, a second-year majoring in Bioengineering: Biotechnology. Recently I have developed a knack for making videos, and I love expressing myself through this medium. Having frequented YouTube for extra help ever since high school, I have come to appreciate the value of such videos and love to nurture this passion for making them with The Big BENG. I look forward to making engaging educational videos that can help y’all excel in and enjoy your classes more! In the future, I hope to become a researcher looking into the intersection of bioengineering and nanotechnology. In my spare time, I like cooking Asian food (at least attempting to), playing the violin and cello (poorly), listening to audiobooks on x 1.5 speed (slow reader here), video games (Hollow Knight, genshin, and sadly league of legends), and grossly overusing parenthesis. See y’all in videos soon to come!

Bioengineering at the University of California, San Diego

(c/o 2024)

Hey everyone! My name is Rahul Sehgal, and I’m a first year Biochemistry major at UCSD, but I’m planning on transferring into Bioengineering next year. In my free time I love to play soccer (I’m on the club team at UCSD!), I love to go hiking or do anything outdoorsy, and I really enjoy cooking. As an aspiring Bioengineering major, the Big BENG is a way for me to not only learn more about bioengineering before I switch majors, but also get involved in the bioengineering community at UCSD and help other aspiring Bioengineering majors achieve their goals. I hope to be a part of the Big BENG for many years to come!

Bioengineering at the University of California, San Diego

(c/o 2023)

Hello! My name is Bethany and I’m a second year bioengineering bioinformatics student at UCSD. In my free time I enjoy reading and playing music. I currently work on the role of zinc fingers in chromatin modification in cells under atheroprone conditions in a bioinformatics lab. My career goal is to apply philosophy of physics in the field of biology, especially imaging or systems biology. In The Big BENG, I get an opportunity to find connections between equations or concepts by trying to find out the best way to explain them to everyone. The Big BENG also allows me to have more conversation with my peers in class so that we can help each other. I hope we are helpful to you at some point of time.

University of California, San Diego Distinguished Bioengineering Professor

Director of the UC San Diego Institute of Engineering in Medicine