Krish Poudel '26

Student Name: Krish Poudel '26

Major: Biomedical Engineering, B.S.

Name of Project: NCE Department of Biomedical Engineering Most Outstanding Senior Award

What inspires you most as a student, and how does it influence your academic and personal growth? My experience as a Boy Scout for 11 years and as an Eagle Scout most inspires me as a student. I have always lived by the Scout slogan: “Do a good turn daily” and the Scout motto: “Be prepared.” Ever since elementary school, I have sought to contribute positively to society by doing one good deed a day. Such practice has become a habit, now cemented in my compassionate and empathetic outlook toward life. This compassion and empathy I have developed have guided my personal growth toward possessing the qualities necessary to become an adept physician capable of providing high-quality care to all patients. 

Living by the Scout motto: “Be prepared,” I have always sought to be academically prepared for the next step of my life journey. With a budding interest in translational research, I have continually pushed myself to new academic heights by taking on doctoral-level coursework as an undergraduate and pursuing multiple research projects, ranging from advanced neuroimaging to the development of novel rehabilitative devices to improve patient health outcomes. 

Ultimately, supporting such a lifestyle are my parents, who always remind me how personally fulfilling and rewarding life can be when approached with a positive mindset, commitment, and timely action.

Can you share something you are currently working on in your studies and why it is meaningful to you? I am currently developing a novel rehabilitative exosuit to correct postural/spinal-based abnormalities for my biomedical engineering capstone project. This project is quite meaningful to me as we are creating it from scratch to be accessible and widely applicable to individuals from all walks of life. As I see the project’s potential to help everybody, from employees in factory settings to those working daily desk jobs to the elderly, it motivates me to further work on translational research with tangible applications. 

What challenges have you experienced during your time as a student, and how have you worked to overcome them? A big challenge I experienced as a student when I first arrived at NJIT was navigating life as an out-of-state student in a commuter-heavy school. I surmounted this challenge by connecting with colleagues I met in some of the many clubs/organizations available on campus, from the BS/MD cohort to the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, as well as with colleagues I met in events sponsored by the Albert Dorman Honors College (e.g., interdisciplinary colloquium). This enabled me to forge strong friendships and to discover my fit in the greater NJIT community. 

How has receiving scholarship support impacted your experience as a student? Receiving scholarship support has significantly freed up my time to focus on translational research and clinical opportunities, ultimately leading me to discover my interest in pursuing an MD/PhD at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. Thus, I am extremely thankful for the support that has enabled me to tap into my full potential during my undergraduate career.