Photograph: Kristen Finn
Y
iqi Cao admits that when she applied to the Engineering
School she didn’t have a firm idea of what engineering was
all about. But her four years at U.Va. have taught her
that engineering is a creative discipline — a body of
knowledge and a way of thinking — that can guide her as she
explores and interacts with the world. “The technical skills
and the problem-solving mindset you learn as an engineer
give you a springboard to make changes in society,” she says.
“And at U.Va., you also learn to apply this knowledge ethically
and responsibly.”
A Jefferson Scholar, Cao has taken full advantage of
opportunities — both at the School and the University — to
develop these skills. Her interest in health and biology led
her to major in biomedical engineering, where she benefited
from the department’s focus on medical device design. “We
get hands-on experience shadowing physicians in the clinic,
observing problems and creating solutions that fix them,” she
says. Based on these experiences, Cao and her classmates
developed a wireless system that would remind health
care professionals to use hand sanitizer before interacting
with patients. They took this idea to the University’s
Entrepreneurship Cup competition, earning a second-place
award of $10,000 for their concept. )Q