11/30/2020 Huan Song
Congratulations to bioengineering seniors Joy Chen, Berat Gulecyuz and Thomas Romanchek for being selected for the 2020 Homecoming court! They are three out of twenty campus-wide student leaders who received this honor as outstanding representatives of the UIUC student body.
Written by Huan Song
The Homecoming Court is composed of 20 campus-wide student leaders in senior standing, who are selected based on their academic achievements, leadership and community involvement. Those selected to serve on the court are viewed as role models for their peers and outstanding representatives of the University of Illinois student body. Three bioengineering students received this prestigious honor.
Joy Chen from Champaign, IL., is studying bioengineering with a cell and tissue concentration. She currently serves as Vice President for the Biomedical Engineering Society and Engineering Ambassadors. Her dedication to STEM outreach has driven her to lead efforts in educating young students through both of these organizations. Joy is passionate about mentoring students to reach their professional goals. She is also devoted to conducting cancer research through the Cancer Scholars Program and has enjoyed sharing her work at various conferences. She is excited to be applying to Ph.D. programs to continue her research journey and is honored to be on the Homecoming Court.
Berat Gulecyuz, Lemont, IL., is focused on making a positive difference in the Grainger College of Engineering and the broader university community. Studying bioengineering with an anthropology minor, Gulecyuz is a member of Student Alumni Ambassadors, a leader in the Society of Women Engineers and an undergraduate researcher in the Tissue Biomechanics Lab. She passionately works to be a role model and mentor for underclassmen through her participation as a Student Coordinator for Women in Engineering Orientation, an Engineering Learning Assistant and a Course Assistant. She is honored to represent Illinois and be on Homecoming Court, as she is a student now, but Illini forever.
Thomas Romanchek, Lake Forest, IL., is a senior studying bioengineering and psychology and is considering pursuing a law degree after graduating. He serves as the Vice-Chair of Academic Affairs in the Illinois Student Government, as an Engineering Ambassador, and as the President of the Undergraduate Neuroscience Society. Romanchek is passionate about expanding conversations about STEM. He founded the “Brain Matters Journal” to engage students and he researches trends in student mental health as a member of the Jensen Lab in the College of Engineering. He is honored to participate in Homecoming Court and will continue to support student achievement.