Wayne State biomedical engineering student receives prestigious Mulally Scholarship from Ford

Adam Menkara

Adam Menkara, a second-year biomedical engineering student at Wayne State University, received the Alan Mulally Leadership in Engineering Scholarship, a coveted $10,000 award bestowed on only 10 students across the country each year in honor of the former president and CEO of Ford Motor Company.

Menkara's engineering education began in high school when he "was introduced to Arduino, CAD and other engineering tools that showed me the true potential I could achieve in making my ideas a reality, and provided me with the fuel and desire to continue pursuing a future within this field," he said.

He holds a 3.90 GPA and has been a mainstay on the Dean's List since his arrival to Wayne State in the fall of 2019. He has also made the most of opportunities for undergraduate research and experiential learning in the College of Engineering.

At the college's inaugural First Year Spotlight on Design event in December 2019, Menkara and his group created a 3D printed hydrocephalus model and computer simulations, placing third for their poster presentation.

Menkara joined the Warrior Racing Formula SAE team as a freshman and was promoted to brakes and ergonomics captain in 2021. He also works in the injury biomechanics laboratory with Cynthia Bir, chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, to acquire deeper knowledge of the effects of motor vehicle accidents on the human body.

"Adam joined my lab during his freshman year and has been a huge asset working on a variety of projects," said Bir. "His work integrity is refreshing and he strives to not only accomplish the tasks presented but exceed them whenever possible."

"The introduction to why vehicles were built the way they are to ensure driver and passenger safety, as well as a lifelong interest in cars, drove me to pursue automotive engineering specifically," said Menkara.

Connecting the lessons learned between the two groups, and working in team-based environments, is a formula for Mankara to develop leadership and collaborative skills that will make him a better and more innovative engineer when he graduates.

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