Intro Speaker Male:

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast by the host and guests may or may not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Miami University.

Intro Speaker Female:

I am going into my last semester of chemical engineering.

Intro Speaker Male:

I'm a senior journalism major.

Intro Speaker Female:

And I'm minoring in supply chain and operations management.

Intro Speaker Male:

I'm a biochemistry major.

Intro Speaker Male:

Classes are going great. Extracurriculars are going great.

Intro Speaker Female:

I'm an RA on campus.

Intro Speaker Male:

I'm thriving.

Jason Meggyesy:

Hi, I'm Jason Meggyesy. And this is Major Insight. This is the podcast where we talk college life with amazing students about how to find your place and purpose on campus. Now, imagine this: smart prosthetics that anticipate and respond to the user. Imagine unlocking the secrets of human balance inside virtual worlds, or even combining computer programming with genetic engineering. Now I know it may sound like science fiction, but it's all part of the college experience for Gabe Lenneman. Gabe is a senior studying biomedical engineering and bioinformatics, but he also finds time to play varsity e-sports and compete on the water ski team. Gabe Lenneman, my friend. How are you doing?

Gabe Lenneman:

Not too bad. Thanks for having me on, man.

Jason Meggyesy:

Of course, of course. This is the inaugural episode of season three of Miami University's Major Insight. So Gabe, why don't you just introduce yourself a little bit?

Gabe Lenneman:

Yeah. So my name is Gabe Lenneman. I am a junior biomedical engineering major with a minor in bioinformatics. Just been having a good time, doing schoolwork and busy, but having fun at the same time.

Jason Meggyesy:

For sure. Originally, where are you from? Just walk us through your process to get to Miami.

Gabe Lenneman:

Yeah, so I'm from Lansing, Michigan, and I actually first heard of Miami from my dad. When I was in high school, I originally thought I was only going to apply to three schools, whatever ones I get into I'll make my options there. But my dad really convinced me to branch out a little bit. He told me to look at schools out of state, and then he told me about Miami and showed me pictures of the campus. And I was like, "That looks like a fun school. I may as well apply." I got in and I ended up working out really well. And it's probably been one of the best decisions because I've made so far.

Jason Meggyesy:

For sure, for sure. So did you get a chance to come to campus before?

Gabe Lenneman:

I did one of the Make it Miami things. And after that, I almost enrolled that same day I was here, but my parents were like, "No, no, no, let's get home. Let's talk it out a little bit. And then we can make a decision from there." But ever since that, it was pretty much set in stone that I was going to come here after that day.

Jason Meggyesy:

So you said that you're biomechanical engineering, correct?

Gabe Lenneman:

Biomedical.

Jason Meggyesy:

Biomedical engineering. All right. And was that your first original major that you had when you came in?

Gabe Lenneman:

So biomedical engineering was actually not. I came into college as a biochemistry major with a co-major in pre-med and a minor in Spanish. So I actually had aspirations to go to med school one day. And after my freshman year, I don't know why, I just started questioning if pre-med was the right route for me. And I was talking to my parents about it. And my dad was also thinking about pre-med one day, taking the MCAT and doing all the hard work for it. And he was like, "Pre-med, if you're questionable about it, it's really hard. And if you're questionable about it at all, then it may not be right for you because it's a lot of work, a lot of extra schooling, a lot of money." And I was like, "Yeah. And I'm not really sure if I like biochemistry."

Jason Meggyesy:

For sure.

Gabe Lenneman:

I was a biochemistry major, but I was just doing it to go to med school. And I didn't really like biochemistry as much. And that summer between my freshman and sophomore year, I built my first computer. I got really into technology. And I was like, "I really like technology. I want to get into this more." And so before my sophomore year, I made the decision to switch to biomedical engineering with a minor in bioinformatics, but it's been an awesome experience so far.

Jason Meggyesy:

Yeah. All right. So biomedical engineering major and bioinformatics minor.

Gabe Lenneman:

Right.

Jason Meggyesy:

That's a mouthful.

Gabe Lenneman:

Yes, it is.

Jason Meggyesy:

So before we dig into more about it, just give a quick overview about what it is in layman's terms, if you can.

Gabe Lenneman:

Yeah. So biomedical engineering, it's biomechanics, which you can think of it as robotics relating to the human body.

Jason Meggyesy:

Okay.

Gabe Lenneman:

So something that I want to do when I'm older in biomedical engineering is something called smart prosthetics, which is think about a prosthetic arm. Instead of making something that's a simple plastic arm, I want to make something that actually moves and is smart and works with the human body. So that's how I explain biomedical engineering. It's essentially robotics, but for the human body.

Jason Meggyesy:

Got you. And then how does the informatics part come in?

Gabe Lenneman:

I would say that bioinformatics is -- the basis of it -- is more computer programming, but once you get to the harder classes, it gets honestly more genetics related. It's like a mix of computer programming with genetics.

Jason Meggyesy:

Got you. And then were these two things, did you know that they were going to fit so well together? How did you piece these two together?

Gabe Lenneman:

Yeah, no. I definitely knew that they were going to go well together. I thought that if I could somehow figure out how to design products while also being able to program them at the same time, I figured those were two really good complementarity majors and minors and yeah, so that's why I decided to pick those together.

Jason Meggyesy:

Got you. And then what kind of research did you do leading up to the switch and like, "Oh yeah, biomedical engineering is what I want with this bioinformatics minor?"

Gabe Lenneman:

Actually, this is funny. So my girlfriend's dad is a computer programmer and I would always go over to her place and he would be on his computer all day programming. And I would be really interested in what he was doing. And Chloe, my girlfriend, she would say ...

Jason Meggyesy:

Quick shout out to Chloe.

Gabe Lenneman:

Yeah, quick shout out, Chloe. She would say, "Yeah, my dad knows hundreds of different languages." And I'm like, "What do you mean? How do you know hundreds of different languages?" And then that's when I got really into computer programming. So I would say the research I did leading up to the switch was talking to honestly, Chloe's dad about computer programming and as well as building the computer. Those two things were what really spurred me, really were eye opening as far as like, am I in the right major?

Jason Meggyesy:

That's awesome. That's awesome. And so now that we have the groundwork and the foundation of what this is that you're doing in school with the classes you're taking, what kind of stuff outside of the classroom are you doing that relates to this?

Gabe Lenneman:

I'm actually doing research. I'm doing research under Dr. Chagdes in the mechanical engineering department. And so I started doing that my sophomore year and it was a really interesting experience because I had to reach out to multiple professors. And I talked to Dr. Chagdes, my research professor now, and we had a great conversation and he talked to me about a few projects that we could be doing. And yeah, so that was my intro into research.

Jason Meggyesy:

What do you think spurred this urge to go and do this research and start reaching out to all these professors? Because it's not like this opportunity just landed in your lap, right?

Gabe Lenneman:

Right. Yeah. I've always been one to think having a good GPA is great, but I've always thought that it's what you have beyond the GPA is what separates yourself from other students, whether it's getting a job opportunity, internship opportunities, stuff like that. And I thought research was honestly, a great resume booster. And Dr. Chagdes, he can write me a letter of recs, for example, it's a great relationship to have beyond undergraduate for grad school as well and into the future. So I think knowing that this relationship would just pay off in more than one way is why I wanted to get into research.

Jason Meggyesy:

Yeah, no, that's awesome. And then, so now let's get into the nitty-gritty.

Gabe Lenneman:

Yeah.

Jason Meggyesy:

Balance in virtual reality.

Gabe Lenneman:

Yes.

Jason Meggyesy:

That's the research project you're working on right now.

Gabe Lenneman:

Yes.

Jason Meggyesy:

Tell me everything. I want to know.

Gabe Lenneman:

So I'm staying in Oxford doing research in the mechanical engineering department. And one of the things that me and Dr. Chagdes have done in the past is we've been looking at various models of balance. And we've been looking at these models, for example, in virtual reality. So what we're doing is testing these models in a virtual reality environment. And we're also, [crosstalk 00:07:50].

Jason Meggyesy:

I don't mean to interrupt you, but do you mean by models?

Gabe Lenneman:

So balanced models? When I say models, there's different ways to explain balance, right? So there's a bunch of different researchers and people that have tried to explain the best way to balance, but it's hard to define the correct way to balance, whether it's more on your heels, whether it's more on front of your feet. So, it's hard to define the best way to balance. So these models are something that we look at, whether we try to make our own models or analyze other models in regards to balance. So when I say models, I say types of balancing in general.

Jason Meggyesy:

Okay, cool. All right. So what real-world application does this have with the balanced and virtual reality?

Gabe Lenneman:

Yeah, so I actually have a virtual reality gaming headset. I love it. And so, virtual reality is something that's really up and coming. It's relatively new, I want to say, within the past five years, it's a pretty new technology. And one of the more unknown aspects about it is balance, and how your balance is affected, because obviously you have something over your eyes, it feels like you're in a whole different environment. So how is your balance affected in a virtual reality environment? And that is something that we're looking at.

Jason Meggyesy:

Do you think this could lead to anything else?

Gabe Lenneman:

Yeah. Yeah. This definitely could, obviously right now I'm thinking smart prosthetics in the future, but right now I'm actually looking at going to graduate school here. And whether it's working with Dr. Chagdes as my research professor. I think doing research as an undergraduate can lead for opportunities, whether it's doing research for graduate school or letters of rec for other graduate schools.

Jason Meggyesy:

The smart prosthetics thing, where's the motivation to work in that field and create something like that come from?

Gabe Lenneman:

So I've always been one to be very into athletics. And when I wanted to be a surgeon, I did want to work with arms and legs. And I don't think my love for that has gone away. I think it's just changed forms. So I think essentially instead of doing surgeries on arms or legs and something like that, I would like to do smart prosthetics on arms or legs. For example, I love snowboarding. And Microsoft is doing a thing where they have a smart prosthetics that is able to fit into a boot and maintain balance while someone is snowboarding. And part of me is like, "I just want to work on that project so bad."

Jason Meggyesy:

That sounds right up your alley, that sounds right up your alley. No, I think you hit it right on the nose with the fact that even though the major that you started out with wasn't for you, the passion and the drive to go to that major didn't go away. It just changed forms. Like you said, it was perfect. So obviously, you have a lot on your plate. So what do you do in your free time to burn off some steam? I know you can't just be looking at data and graphs all day.

Gabe Lenneman:

Right. Right. I actually play a lot of video games. I would say video games is one of my passions and I've always been an avid fan of video games, but I think it started to turn more into a hobby when I built my computer, actually. So that's something that I do in my off time. I'm a part of a fraternity. So I hang out with the guys a lot there and have a good time there. So those are some of the things I do in my free time when I'm not doing schoolwork.

Jason Meggyesy:

Yeah. Cool. So tell me more about you found this passion for video games, as well as a side hobby. And I know you're part of the e-sports team, so give me a little rundown about that.

Gabe Lenneman:

Yeah. Yeah. So I joined the e-sports team last semester. And so last semester, I realized that we weren't going to be able to go out as far as uptown as much and we would have to stay inside more. And I was trying to think of things to do in my apartment that I could have fun with. And I found this game, I started playing this game the previous summer that I fell in love with, and it's called Valorant. And I got to school for first semester my junior year and they announced that they were going to start a Valorant team and they were having open tryouts. And I was like, "I may as well try out."

Jason Meggyesy:

Why not? Why not?

Gabe Lenneman:

Exactly. So I ended up trying out and I ended up making the team and ever since then, it's just been a fun experience.

Jason Meggyesy:

What kind of things consist of being a part of the e-sports team?

Gabe Lenneman:

It's definitely a lot of practicing. I would say we have two to three practices a week that are about two hours long. So I would say it's about 10 to 12 hours a week of playing with the team. And then I also try and put in some hours of playing by myself or with my friends. So it definitely does require a lot of time and definitely is a big commitment, but it's probably one of the best experiences I've ever had. Playing a game with the team versus playing just by yourself or for friendly competition, because we compete for scholarship money in these tournaments. So we definitely have something to win for instead of just playing for fun and having a good time. We all have a drive to try and win scholarship money against these other schools. So playing on a competitive team environment is definitely the best aspect of it. And it is demanding, but it's also a great time.

Jason Meggyesy:

Yeah, I can speak from firsthand experience that I've seen you play. It's a very confusing game, but once you get the general idea of what's going on, super entertaining. And we're always rooting for you, bro, whenever it's going on.

Gabe Lenneman:

Yeah, thanks, man.

Jason Meggyesy:

And I don't know if it's been going on this year, obviously because of COVID. But one of the first things I knew about you when we first got to know each other was that you were on the water ski team as well. So just give us a rundown about that.

Gabe Lenneman:

Yeah. I want to give a shout out to the water ski team. The water ski team was the first club that I joined on campus my freshman year. It was my first leap of faith.

Jason Meggyesy:

Yeah.

Gabe Lenneman:

It was where I formed my first friends that I'm still friends with today. So joining the water ski team was definitely one of the biggest decisions I made, but I love wakeboarding. I'm a huge fan of lakes. And so I was like, "If I could do something like that in my free time in college, that'd be awesome." And then I found out there was a water ski team and I fell in love with the people, the environment. And we go to various lakes in the Midwest. I want to say four or five weekends in a row in the fall. So we compete against these other schools and events, whether it's slalom, trick or jump. And me, myself, I was on the trick team, so that was a lot of fun.

Jason Meggyesy:

Yeah. Jack of all trades, Gabe Lenneman. And it all came from that leap of faith to step out of the comfort zone.

Gabe Lenneman:

Yeah, definitely.

Jason Meggyesy:

How important, not just for getting into clubs, but just in general, how important do you think stepping out of that comfort zone is for students?

Gabe Lenneman:

I think it's very important. I think in high school, I had a lot of like regret of not doing clubs like this and in college I wanted to change that. It definitely was a hard decision at first, but once you make that first decision to get out of your comfort zone, the rest of the decisions are a lot easier.

Jason Meggyesy:

Definitely.

Gabe Lenneman:

So joining the water ski team, going to the lake day the first time, meeting all these new people, I don't think I've ever been more nervous in my life, but it made all the other times meeting new people and joining new clubs, just that much easier.

Jason Meggyesy:

Exactly.

Gabe Lenneman:

So I think for new people, for new students coming in, definitely joining the one club and joining any club after that, or any student organization just gets a lot easier. And I can guarantee you will never regret because it's going to be a good experience.

Jason Meggyesy:

Cool. If you could sit down with your freshman year self, first day of college, what advice are you giving to him? What are you telling him?

Gabe Lenneman:

I would say don't be scared to change your major. I would say change your hair a little bit and definitely don't be afraid to take a leap of faith.

Jason Meggyesy:

For sure, bro. That sounds like a great place to stop. Thank you so much for coming on, Gabe.

Gabe Lenneman:

Thank you very much for having me, man.

Jason Meggyesy:

Gabe Lenneman is a senior majoring in biomedical engineering and minoring in bioinformatics and plans to attend graduate school next year. And thank you for listening to Major Insight. If you enjoyed this podcast, share with your friends or anyone interested in navigating college life. Many more episodes are now available wherever you get your podcasts.

SHOW NOTES:

Featured Majors: 

Bioengineering, Bioinformatics

Featured Organizations and Internships:

• Waterski team

• Varsity Esports team

Faculty Shout Outs:

• James Chagdes, Associate Professor of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

Career Clusters:

Engineering and Technology