Savannah Brown came to Kettering University in search of an education that would prepare her for medical school. However, her experiences evolved and her goals changed after spending time in the classroom and working in the auto industry.

“My parents are both engineers and my dad was the one who suggested I go into engineering as a prelude to going to medical school,” Brown said.

Transformational classroom experiences in engineering, specifically in Dr. Pat Atkinson’s Introduction to Bioengineering Applications, slowly shifted her focus away from medical school and towards engineering.

“The hands-on approach, small class sizes and interaction with professors have helped me a lot,” Brown said. “I spoke with a lot of them and their guidance has influenced my decision of where I want to go.”

In Atkinson’s class, Brown had the opportunity to work with implants, construct prosthetics, perform mock surgeries and build anatomical features with synthetic materials.

“I kind of realized that I liked more of the engineering side of the medical field and I like the elements of design,” Brown said. “I like the process and I like the problem solving that goes into engineering.”

Brown continued to delve into engineering through her co-op position with Ford Motor Company in Dearborn. She has completed seven co-op terms at Ford and has been provided the opportunity to experience a breadth of different departments and engineering fields. She worked on the truck crash safety team for the F150, research biomechanics department where the focus was on seatbelt and airbag research, and design analysis engineering involving accident reconstruction for vehicles. Her last term was in crash safety where she completed comprehensive airbag, sled and full vehicle barrier testing.

“I do work for an automotive company but I try to tailor it to get broad experience,” Brown said. “Specifically, I enjoy working in crash safety because that’s where you see the most human interaction.”

Based on her passion and interest in biomedical engineering, Brown at one point considered transferring co-op positions to firms more closely related to her professional pursuits. She interviewed for the positions, was offered two separate co-op opportunities, but in the end, opted to remain in the automotive industry because of the depth of experience that she was gaining at Ford.

“With a Kettering education and enormous amount of experience and knowledge I’ve gained at Ford, I’m still marketable to any agency,” Brown said.

Brown is currently exploring doctorate programs in biomedical engineering as she wants to work closely with patients and solve problems related to the medical field. With the foundational knowledge she gained at Kettering and Ford, she’s confident that despite the professional challenges ahead, she will be able build off of her education and experiences.

“Engineering really provides you with a way of thinking. You approach things differently when you have an education background in engineering,” Brown said. “It promotes critical thinking, problem solving and logical thinking.”