Recently, UCR’s professional student organization chapter of the BioMedical Engineering Society (BMES) was invited to attend the annual BMES conference, where they were recognized nationally for their outstanding outreach efforts within the Inland Empire region. Represented by Eric Huitt (President) and Ernest Romero (Development Chair), two undergraduate Bioengineering students, they attended the 4-day event centered around Bioengineering topics and discussions in early October 2023. 
“As a student organization within a minority-serving institution, one of our primary goals is to encourage and foster STEM literacy and education through involvement at local schools for underrepresented K-12 students”, Huitt said. Through collaborative education and outreach endeavors at local high schools such as science fairs, career presentations, and workshop activities, our students were recognized and won the Biomedical Engineering Society Outstanding Outreach award for their efforts. 
While attending the conference, our students were able to highlight their skills, network with professionals, and engage in productive discussions with other student chapters, researchers, and engineers. These student leaders accepted the award on behalf of their chapter and met with other leaders from across the country to gain insight and learn from their accomplishments. In addition, Huitt was asked to serve on a discussion panel at the conference, where he met with chapter leaders and professors to showcase the successes of BMES at UCR. 
“Recognition of our community-focused efforts not only reaffirms our motivation and dedication to the education of underrepresented communities in STEM but also will play a major role and continue to guide the management and operation of our organization with the support of both BCOE and the BMES National Charter,” Huitt said.
With continued guidance from their faculty advisor, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Dr. Robert McKee, and the Department of Bioengineering , these students intend to continue attending the annual BMES conference to showcase their successes within UCR and nearby communities.