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Grand Challenges Scholar, Spring 2025

Taylor Whitten

Taylor Whitten chose to study biomedical engineering at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University due to its strong engineering program and countless opportunities to get involved on campus.

Whitten’s participation in Project Lead the Way, a four-year biomedical sciences program during high school, solidified her interest in developing biomedical devices.

“I love working hands-on and seeing my ideas take shape in real-time,” she says. “Whether I’m building a circuit or 3D printing a prototype, it’s incredibly satisfying to watch a project come to life.”

Whitten has served in various leadership roles, such as an undergraduate teaching assistant, community assistant and residential experience coordinator. She says that joining empowering and uplifting communities like Barrett, the Honors College and the Grand Challenges Scholars Program, or GCSP, has changed the way she approaches the world.

“These roles have given me the chance to connect directly with students, offer mentorship, and support their growth both academically and personally,” she says. “These experiences have been incredibly rewarding and have strengthened my communication and leadership skills.”

She is especially proud of her work on a capstone project in which she partnered with Johnson & Johnson to design a rapid fluid-heating system for use in surgeries.

“Creating a device that could actually be used and implemented in surgical settings made it feel like we were part of something meaningful,” she says. “I had the chance to work with an incredibly driven and collaborative team, and we were supported every step by our professors and industry mentors.”

After graduation, Whitten will continue her education at ASU as she pursues her Accelerated Master’s degree in biomedical engineering. 

“I aspire to establish a career focused on developing wearable devices,” Whitten says. “I’m especially interested in the intersection of neural engineering and wearable technology, which has great potential to improve the treatment and monitoring of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.”

Read about other exceptional graduates of the Fulton Schools’ spring 2025 class here.

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