Kyani Jemmotte is a junior from Brooklyn, NY, majoring in bioengineering at Lehigh.
She spoke with one of our staff writers recently about her decision to study engineering, how things are going, her career aspirations, and her work on the Bioengineering Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Committee.
Q: What first got you interested in bioengineering?
Kyani: Growing up, I had always gravitated toward the world of science and technology. There was something about how tangible the study of the human body was that fascinated me. In high school I joined the robotics club and took advanced courses in neuroscience and biomechatronics. After discovering these passions, I thought about a potential career in bioengineering.
Q: Are you pursuing a particular specialty in bioengineering?
Kyani: I’m on the mechanics track, as well as a minor in neuroscience. I had fallen in love with neuroscience already and knew that I wanted to incorporate it into my future career. Two things that interested me the most were how delicate the human brain is, and the correlations found between disruptions in the signal transmission of neural pathways and neurological disorders. As I mentioned, I did an independent course in biomechatronics in high school, which was an interdisciplinary study of biology, mechanics, electronics, and control. In that project I worked to understand brain-computer interfaces.
Q: Why did you come to Lehigh, and how are things going?
Kyani: I chose Lehigh due to the opportunities that it offers to aspiring engineers. Lehigh is an amazing community for students of color such as me who are interested in engineering. It is also a department that helps students get started in the industry.
Three organizations I joined as a freshman—the Greer Scholars Program, the Lehigh University Student Scholars Institute program [LUSSI], and the National Society of Black Engineers [NSBE]—provide both a sense of community as well as access to networking opportunities and resources for students who need them. I’m a first-generation college student, so I didn’t know a lot about the bioengineering industry when I first got here in Fall of 2020.
Over time, I’ve learned a lot through the help of these groups and the wisdom of all the mentors I have had the good fortune to work with so far.
Q: Can you share a bit about your career ambitions?
Kyani: I plan on attending graduate school and earning a doctorate in an interdisciplinary field that merges neuroscience and bioengineering. After that, I want to go into industry with a focus on neural prosthetics.
Q: You are the undergraduate representative on the Bioengineering DEI Committee. Can you talk about your work there, and what you are seeking to accomplish?
Kyani: Our ambition as a committee is to create an environment that is diverse and welcoming to students of all different backgrounds. I have always been an advocate for expanding opportunities for students who may be marginalized, and as the undergraduate student representative I feel that it is my responsibility to make sure that the voices of students of color are being heard.
I think a community that is diversified is a stronger community. When we can each bring our authentic selves to our work and study, we add value in ways that can only heighten the possibility of making scientific advancements. In that regard, I am hoping to do my small part to forward this mission during my time here at Lehigh.
Story by Chris Quirk
