Leadership Opportunities

The Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering ambassadors act as representatives of the undergraduate program in promoting unity between students, faculty, alumni, family, and organizations, as well as reaching out to prospective students, all in an attempt to bridge the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering program to the local and global engineering world.

Benefits to the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering

The BME ambassador program benefits the Weldon School by:

  • Demonstrate our high-quality students and education to donors, industrial advisory committee members, alumni, prospective students, and other friends of Purdue Biomedical Engineering.
  • Promote an understanding of the field of biomedical engineering to prospective students, alumni, donors, and friends of the Weldon school.
  • Provide a student's view of the curriculum, facilities, extra-curricular activities, and campus life.
  • Promote goodwill for the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering and Purdue University at events, activities, and programs.

Benefits for Biomedical Engineering Students

Participation in the ambassador program enhances the student's educational experience by:

  • Developing marketable skills in leadership, teamwork, interpersonal communication, and public speaking.
  • Providing opportunities for students to interface with University and BME administration.
  • Involving ambassadors in opportunities to help constituents make well-informed decisions about their educational future or contributions to the Weldon School.
  • Creating networking opportunities for potential future employment.

Selection Criteria

Students can apply each fall and spring semester to be selected as an ambassador. The selection process is a blind one, meaning applications are stripped of student's names and assigned an application number. The BME advising staff evaluates and ranks applications based on the responses to the application questions. Students can apply as many times as they would like as long as they still meet the criteria.

To qualify for a BME ambassador position, a student must:

  • Be currently enrolled full-time in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering and have completed no fewer than three academic semesters at Purdue.
  • Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
  • Have at least two semesters (fall/spring) remaining at Purdue.

Students who are registered, but away (study abroad, co-op/internship, etc.) can still qualify for an ambassador position.

Length of Service

Ambassadors serve a one-semester term starting the semester after they are selected. After the end of each term, each ambassador is evaluated on participation and performance. If requirements are still met, they may be invited to continue for another semester. Ambassadors can resign at any point in their tenure.

Requirements and Expectations

Trainings and Meetings
  • Attend general orientation and all other applicable training sessions.
  • Understand and effectively communicate basic information about Purdue and BME.
  • Attend professional development events offered through the BME academic programs office, College of Engineering, and larger Purdue community as they are available.
Activities and Events:
  • Participate in a minimum of three to four activities per semester.
Academic and Personal Excellence
  • Maintain a GPA of at least 3.0.
  • Exhibit professional conduct when representing BME, including appropriate conversation, manner, and dress.
  • Be responsible, committed, outgoing, and flexible.
  • Demonstrate pride in Purdue and the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering and enjoy sharing your experiences.
  • Contribute to the continuous improvement of the BME ambassador program.

After completing a BME course, top students can work with course instructors and cement their course knowledge through our Undergraduate Teaching Assistant program. As part of this program, students get to work with instructors behind the scenes, revisit course material and are empowered to utilize their experience to suggest impactful course improvements. Undergraduate TAs attend office hours, help during/after class, and/or assist students with projects or labs.