Mehul Donthi

He/Him
Class of 2025
Major:  Bioengineering
Hometown:  Germantown, MD
High School:  Northwest High School

What inspired you to become a ClarkLEADER?
I was inspired to become a ClarkLEADER because I want to spread my passion for engineering to the incoming freshman class. As a freshman 2 years ago I was worried about choosing a particular niche in engineering. However, one of the ClarkLEADERS showed me how vast the field of bioengineering actually was. I want to help convey this message to the incoming class of engineers.

If you attended ClarkLEAD as a first-year student, what did you enjoy most about the event?
I attended ClarkLEAD as a first-year student, and what I enjoyed most about the event was the sense of community amongst all the ClarkLEADERS and my freshman class of engineers. I especially enjoyed socializing with all my new peers and getting to know people who are also doing my major.

What is one piece of advice you would like to share with new Maryland Engineering students? 
One piece of advice that I would like to share with new Maryland Engineering students is to optimize your time management skills. Working hard in school is a major key to success, but it is also important to take some time to enjoy the moment and take care of yourself. Building a balanced routine is great way to ensure success.

What are some organizations or extracurricular activities you are involved with on campus?  
One organization that I am involved with on campus is the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) and I attend meetings/events hosted by this organization. BMES has helped me meet many other bioengineering majors. I am also an undergraduate research assistant in the Maisel Lab and that experience has opened my eyes to the wonders of immunoengineering and mucosal engineering.

What is a cool engineering experience you've had? 
A cool engineering experience that I have had would be the Intro to Engineering class (ENES100) that all engineering students are required to take. In that class, my team and I had to build an over-terrain vehicle (OTV) from scratch which really opened my eyes to the engineering/design process. Going through the trial and errors and eventually accomplishing our goal at the end of the semester helped fuel my passion for engineering.