These volunteer engineers from Maryland designed devices for people with disabilities

Towson-based IMAGE Center is highlighting student and professional engineers designing new devices through its Volunteers for Medical Engineering program, which this year celebrates 40 years of serving people with disabilities.

The annual programs gives students hands-on experience and practical application of theories they learn in university courses. IMAGE reports that over 100 students per year from about 10 universities design a device for people with disabilities. The work is built into a school’s engineering design class, and students go about creating something new: interviewing clients, completing research and making computer-aided designs. They also present to experts to assure safety and quality, and receive mentorship from volunteer engineers.

With National Engineering Week running from Feb. 20 through 26 this year, the nonprofit IMAGE Center is sharing stories of four young engineers from Maryland colleges and universities who have worked on the program. From Tuesday to Friday at 1 p.m., videos are posted to Facebook and Instagram featuring alums of the program talking about the devices they created for individuals with disabilities. The first post will feature Allison Dietz, a 2021 mechanical engineer grad of University of Maryland Baltimore County.

Throughout the rest of the week, look for spotlights on these mechanical engineers:

• Oscar Osuna — University of Maryland, College Park (2021)
• Sabrina Johnson — University of Maryland, College Park (2021)
• David Ologan — MIT (2022)

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