Alumni

Industry + Academia + Management

Our alumni are working in every branch of engineering — as faculty at top schools, technical staff at government labs, and senior engineers and managers in industry. 

Picture of Dean Entrekin

Alumni Spotlight: Dean Entrekin

Dean Entrekin (BME M.S. '04)  was the first graduate of the Virginia Tech - Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences (SBES) graduate program and is now the Technical Solutions Director of Orthopedics for Viant Medical.

"A lot of the coursework I took as an SBES student helped mold my professional path in biologics and synthetic biomaterials, and that’s where I really started my career in industry. My thesis work and internships helped solidify my interest in spine biologics in particular."

Read more about Dean's experiences as an SBES student and his path to industry here.

Meet Our BEAM Alumni

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      • Taylor Kerr

        "With my ESM degree, I've been able to explore my interests in the biomedical engineering field by working in Dr. Vincent Wang's Orthopedic Mechanobiology Lab as well as work full time as a systems design engineer for some of the world's top fighter aircraft."

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      • Nora Hlavac

        “It became very apparent to me when I started graduate school that mentorship was going to be really important during my time here. That came at the research level under my PI, Dr. VandeVord, but also just in the general atmosphere that was created at Virginia Tech and within my department.”

      • Michele Waters

        "Virginia Tech is an amazing place. There are organizations here that are incredibly supportive to help you pursue your goals. The opportunities are out there."

      • Patrick Thayer

        "The networks I have developed at Virginia Tech have also continued through ongoing collaborations. The availability of resources from both Virginia Tech and Wake Forest have allowed me opportunities to learn additional topics beyond the bioengineering degree program that I use every day."

See All BEAM Alumni Stories

Keep In Touch!

We love to hear from our BEAM alumni! If you're in the Blacksburg area, please drop by for a visit, or plan to attend one of our BEAM alumni functions. Contact Claudia Rodriguez (BEAM alumni and external relations) for more ways to get involved with the department.