BEGS Committees

Internal Board

(These committees deal with internal affairs, i.e. involving people and entities mostly within the Bioengineering Department.)

Academic Committee

Hosts the annual Bioengineering Graduate Town Hall meeting, where graduate students and faculty representatives discuss issues relevant to the students, including our program curriculum, TA requirements, students' benefits and initiatives. Also hosts workshops related to academic topics such as applying for fellowships and transitioning from MS to PhD.

Bear Hug Committee

Organizes the annual Bear Hug event at the beginning of each academic year, where Bioengineering graduate students, faculty, staff, and alumni gather together for an evening of networking and to welcome those new to the department.

Community Development Committee

Hosts various social events in order to foster a greater sense of community within the Bioengineering Department. Past events include Wine & Paint Night, Potato Chip Rock hike, "Friends-giving" dinner, Murder Mystery Party, movie nights, and end-of-quarter happy hours.

Diversity Committee

Plans and executes diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives on behalf of the Bioengineering graduate student body. Provides resources for students from underrepresented groups in STEM and international students, hosts safe spaces for these groups, and works with the Bioengineering Department to increase DEI efforts.

Mentorship Committee

Coordinates the BEGS Mentorship Program, which pairs incoming graduate students with upper-year graduate students in the Bioengineering Department for one-on-one mentoring. Hosts workshops to help students improve their mentorship skills and social events to build better mentor-mentee relationships.

External Board

(These committees deal with external affairs, i.e. involving people and organizations outside of the Bioengineering Department.)

Breakfast With Industry Committee

Organizes the annual Breakfast With Industry (BWI), an excellent networking event for Bioengineering graduate students and faculty to interact with local industry representatives.

Festival Outreach Committee

Coordinates Bioengineering outreach demos for the BEGS booth at annual science festivals including the San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering (SDFSE), SciFest SoCal, X-STEM San Diego, and the USA Science & Engineering Festival in Washington, D.C.

High School Outreach Committee

Coordinates Bioengineering outreach demos for high school students at local schools, such as Clairemont High School, San Dieguito Academy, and Otay Ranch High School. Also hosts lab/campus tours for high school students.

Industry Committee

Hosts events to connect Bioengineering graduate students with industry representatives, to help students explore career options in industry, and to maintain a network of industry contacts. Recent events include an "Applying to Internships and Jobs" workshop, a tour at local biotech company ATEC Spine, and a company info session from Carlsmed.

Professional Development Committee

Hosts events to help Bioengineering graduate students prepare for their future career, whether it is in academia, industry, or an alternative career path. Recent events include a panel discussion on careers in teaching at non-R01 institutions, a Regulatory Interfacing Careers panel, and workshops about essential skills for graduate students.

Recruitment Committee

Works with the Bioengineering Department to organize the annual PhD recruitment weekends that take place in the Spring. Helps facilitate a fun and professional environment during the incoming students' visit to our campus, including leading campus/lab tours and hosting meet-and-greet events between faculty, current and incoming graduate students.

Non-Committee Positions

(These officer positions do not typically have a committee serving under them, but are still important for BEGS!)

Alumni Chair

Maintains a list of UCSD Bioengineering graduate program alumni and helps foster connections between alumni and current graduate students.

Communications Chair

Manages the BEGS email, website, and social media accounts. Creates and distributes the weekly BEGS newsletter.

GPSA Representatives

Represents the Bioengineering graduate student body at weekly council meetings for the UCSD Graduate & Professional Student Association (GPSA) and acts as a liaison between BEGS and GPSA.