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.

Alumni Spotlight: Justin Laiti '22
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering, Justin continued his education at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. This research allowed him to utilize interests fostered at Virginia Tech such as wearable devices, participatory research, and psychological health and well-being.
Read more about Justin's experiences as a BEAM student, his time at Virginia Tech here.

Alumni Spotlight: Leah Thomas '22
After graduating from the inaugural class of biomedical engineering undergraduates in 2022, Leah worked as a design engineer in the experimental electronics and neurosurgical business units of Stryker Instruments. She'll be returning to Blacksburg soon to join the inaugural Master of Science Biodesign program through the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics.
Meet Our BEAM Alumni
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Redirect ItemAbigail Bock , redirect
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering in 2022, I started working with the United States Patent and Trademark Office as a biomedical patent examiner. I’m responsible for reviewing electrosurgical device applications for novelty, patentability, and feasibility in accordance with patent law and regulations. This includes any device that uses or delivers energy to tissue in a medical procedure or operation theater. I work with inventors, attorneys, and other examiners to determine the best way to describe claimed inventions and improve applications for potential allowability. When I am not working, I like running, hiking, paddle boarding, and stargazing with my dog, Duke.
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General ItemDean Entrekin
"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."
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Redirect ItemFinish up to start-up: Biomedical engineering alumna applies degree as vice president of local company , redirect
Since 2018, Hyler has been chief scientist officer and vice president at CytoRecovery, a start-up co-founded by Rafael Davalos, the L. Preston Wade professor in biomedical engineering and mechanics, and Leo Harris, alumnus of Virginia Tech.
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Redirect ItemChasing solutions in renewable energy, engineering alumnus teams with former research mentor , redirect
Together, alumnus Yeh-Hung Lai and BEAM faculty David Dillard produced novel solutions for hydrogen fuel cell technology, and allowed this collaboration to grow into a robust program for student experiential learning, empowering engineering students as next-generation industry leaders.