Caleb Davis, a graduate student in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University, has been named recipient of the Whitaker International Fellowship.
As a fellowship recipient, Davis will have the opportunity to study at Queen Mary University of London and at Imperial College in the labs of Professors Steve Greenwald and James Moore during the fall 2014/spring 2015 academic year.
While there, Davis, who is advised by TEES Research Assistant Professor Michael Moreno, will work on the mechanical testing of arteries and fitting constitutive mathematical models to that data that include the multilayered arterial wall structure. This will provide a powerful tool for future studies to investigate the effects of arterial structure and function on vascular disease, he notes.
"Caleb is an exceptional student,” Moreno said. “His work is always precise, accurate and professionally presented. I believe his knowledge, personality, strong verbal and analytical skills, intrinsic desire to learn and commitment to excellence, serve as evidence that his potential as a scientist has no bounds."
The Whitaker International Program sends emerging leaders in U.S. biomedical engineering (or bioengineering) overseas to undertake a self-designed project that will enhance their careers within the field. The goal of the program is to assist the development of professional leaders who are not only superb scientists, but who also will advance the profession through an international outlook. Along with supporting grant projects in an academic setting, the Whitaker International Program encourages grantees to engage in policy work and propose projects in an industry setting.
The Whitaker International Fellows and Scholars Program was created by the Institute of International Education with a grant from the Whitaker Foundation. Its mission is to promote international collaboration in the growing field of biomedical engineering. Whitaker International Fellows are those who have received a degree in biomedical engineering, but have not yet obtained a Ph.D. Whitaker International Scholars are biomedical engineers who have already received a Ph.D. within two years of application.