Section 1: Graduate Program Advising & Governance

1.3 Selecting a Research Advisor

Participating graduate faculty (many from outside departments and colleges) have diverse research interests and act as research advisors to graduate students, along with those who call Biomedical Engineering their home unit. While the student’s assigned core advisor fulfills a sort of “helper” role, the research advisor is the main advisor and mentor (and often also functions as Graduate Research Associate or GRA supervisor). When a research advisor is new or from an outside unit, a student’s core advisor can be an invaluable resource for advice on BME culture and practices.

Research advisors and students will work together to define research projects and to develop the program of study and to form an advisory (i.e., examination) committee. For an MS student, the research advisor chairs the MS Examination Committee. For a PhD student, the research advisor chairs the Candidacy Examination Committee and the Final Oral Examination Committee.

Selecting a research advisor is one of the most important decisions students will make during the course of their graduate career. It is important that students take time when choosing their research advisors because they will be a key component in a student’s success at the graduate level. It is important to be aware of a research advisor’s working style. Talking with current students who work in faculty labs and asking questions about style, funding, and expectations can help new students make proper choices.

Students are strongly encouraged to begin seeking an advisor and research project as soon as possible. Sometimes this automatically happens as a result of funding and project connections made early in the admission process. Others (e.g., fellowship recipients, etc.) may choose to do informal rotations in multiple faculty labs before identifying a research advisor. Regardless, students should select an advisor by the end of their second term of enrollment in the graduate program.

The research advisor of a master’s student must hold membership at the Category M level or higher in Biomedical Engineering. The research advisor of a doctoral student must hold membership at the Category P level in Biomedical Engineering. Questions about graduate faculty status may be directed to the Graduate Studies Office.

For details on graduate faculty duties and responsibilities, see Section 12, GSH.

Q: How does a Faculty Member get Graduate Faculty Status?

If a faculty member with whom you seek to work does not have graduate faculty status, they can apply for it by writing a letter addressed to the BME Graduate Studies Chair along with a current CV, emailed to the Graduate Studies Coordinator for consideration at the next convened BMEGSC meeting. Letters should include a statement of the faculty member’s goals in working with BME graduate students; ability to fund graduate students; and past graduate or engineering advising experience. Graduate Faculty requests are processed 2-3 times per year.

1.5 Biomedical Engineering Graduate Studies Committee (BMEGSC)

The graduate programs in Biomedical Engineering are administered and governed by the Biomedical Engineering Graduate Studies Committee (BMEGSC) under the guidance of the Graduate School and Faculty. They are the local body that reviews & approves academic and curricular matters at the Department level before we send them on to the Graduate School, the Office of Graduate Admissions, or the Registrar (i.e., the University level).

The BMEGSC must approve all admissions, funding arrangements, proposed programs of study and faculty composition and membership of all examination committees required by the Graduate School. They review faculty requests for “graduate faculty status” as well as anonymous program assessment information gathered via faculty and student surveys.

The 8-10 faculty members and Chair of this committee are appointed by the Department Chair from the departmental and participating graduate faculty in Biomedical Engineering. The membership includes the Graduate Program Coordinator and a student representative (an elected BMEGSA Officer) who along with the Graduate Coordinator acts as a liaison between the student body and the committee. The Chairperson of the BMEGSC authorizes the business of the committee, which meets regularly throughout the year to fulfill the responsibilities delegated to it by the Graduate School (see Section 13, GSH). The Graduate Studies Coordinator assists the BMEGSC, graduate students, and tracks agenda items.

Students who have communicated with their core and faculty advisors about problems may bring requests and concerns directly to the attention of the BMEGSC for their advice and consideration by a larger body. Requests about course waivers or substitutions must always be accompanied by a proposed program of study, along with the requisite syllabi. For details on preparing the Program of Study, see section 3 of this Handbook. Correspondence addressed to the “Chair of the BME Graduate Studies Committee” should be directed to the Graduate Studies Coordinator by email at least one full week in advance of any scheduled meeting. Meetings typically are held once monthly and business agendas fill quickly.

Graduate Studies Chair, Professor Jun Liu, with doctoral student and past 2020-21 BMEGSA President, Jordan Moore.

Basia Gabela-Zuniga, 2021-2022 BMEGSA President, discusses her work with Professor Alan Litsky at EHIRS.

WHERE TO FIND HELP IN BME:

FIRST-LINE RESOURCES & CONTACTS FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS

For general questions about the graduate program, courses, fellowship funding, advisors, how to file BMEGSC requests, transfers, curriculum requirements, registration and late add/drop policies, getting involved with BMEGSA, student organizations, graduate faculty status, and other university resources and wellness/support services:

Graduate Program Coordinator, Melanie Senitko – senitko.1
Graduate School Website

For content-specific course and program questions, forming a committee, learning more about labs, or proposing a research collaboration:

Core Advisor, Research Advisor, or Graduate Studies Chair, Jun Liu – liu.314

For general advice on local Columbus living, BME graduate student culture, finding research resources, and help navigating graduate school processes:

BMEGSA Officers, Current Students, or Graduate Program Coordinator, Melanie Senitko – senitko.1

For questions about your BME GRA contract, your hiring paperwork, your employment benefits:

The HR staff person who is helpoing with your Workday appt. In BME it may be Leigh Zircher -- ZIrcher.6 or Catrena Collins -- Collins.424; If not hired thru BME, you must work with your GRA Supervisor’s HR officer

How to order supplies, reserve rooms, travel, or other business-related matters: