Congratulations to BME graduate student, Shannon Brown, who was recently announced as a winner of the Thomas O. Hunter Leadership Scholarship by the Engineering Leadership Institute. 

This scholarship provides four $1,500 scholarships to full-time students with distinguished leadership credentials. Selected students must have demonstrated dedication and commitment to the community around them (i.e., peer advisor, campus tour leader, volunteer, etc.) and to leadership (i.e., years of service, increasing levels of responsibility, state/regional/national exposure).

Shannon is a second year Ph.D. student under the mentorship of Dr. Blanka Sharma, developing nanoparticles for drug delivery to diseased joints. Shannon has served the University through a variety of groups over the years with an increasing level of responsibility and leadership. Much of her leadership began at the UF O’Connell Center in 2011, where she was promoted and trained as a supervisor of security. Over her years at the O ‘Dome, Shannon has trained numerous other supervisors, helped develop a new training program, and still advises current leadership in the division. In 2012, Shannon joined Tau Beta Pi, the nation’s second oldest engineering honor society, and has served as an officer every semester since her induction, accruing experience through six different officer positions including vice president. Of the chapter’s membership, Shannon is the longest-standing active member and, despite having started her Ph.D. program, still actively participates in the programs and community service organized by the society. The national organization and university chapter have acknowledged her service and leadership through a national scholarship and three chapter awards.

As a senior undergraduate student, Shannon participated in the University’s Graduate Student Council (GSC) by volunteering as a grant reviewer for the travel grants program. Prior to graduation in 2014, she was elected as the Grants Chair of UF’s GSC and still holds this position, orchestrating the ~$105,000 grants program, organizing student reviewers, and processing the thousands of travel grants that support student travel to conferences.

In addition to being her lab’s safety manager, Shannon recently became involved as the chair of BME’s Student Safety Council, a group established to identify and prevent safety issues and to promote a positive culture of safety within the department.