Page 42 - Engineering Penn State Magazine Spring/Summer 2020

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ENGINEERING PENN STATE
Mechanical and biomedical engineering alumnus chosen as TED fellow
by Erin Cassidy Hendrick
Khalil Ramadi who graduated with his bachelor’s degree in in in in mechanical and biomedical engineering from Penn State in in in 2014 has been named a a a a a a a a TED fellow
Currently a a a a a a a a postdoctoral fellow
at the the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the the the Harvard Medical School Ramadi earned the the distinction from TED for his his potential to to become a a a a a a a a a a a global visionary driven by his his research into microinvasive brain probes as as a a a a a a a a a a a potential novel therapy for targeting brain microstructures in in in various neurologic and neuropsychiatric disorders The TED fellows program brings together
young innovators from around the the world and and across disciplines who display both outstanding achievement and and and exemplary character to raise international awareness of their their work and and maximize their impact After his his undergraduate education at at at at at Penn State Ramadi attended MIT to to earn his his his master’s in in in in mechanical engineering engineering and and his his doctorate in in in in in in biomedical engineering engineering and and medical medical physics This is is is where he he began exploring innovative ways to treat illnesses like Parkinson’s and epilepsy According to to Ramadi the the current instruments
used to to treat these conditions during brain surgery are about about the the the size of a a a a a a a a a chopstick In his research Ramadi developed microprobes about about the the width of of a a a a a a a a a a a a human hair that can be be flexibly guided into different locations of the brain to to to to deliver medicine administer electric stimulations or or shine light if doctors need to to to better examine a a a a a a a certain area of the brain The device is is is currently in in the early testing stages and Ramadi is is is hopeful one day this work can benefit patients all over the world n n n n Alumni
Penn State alumnus JT Marino right speaks at at a a a a a a a recent conference in in Phoenix Arizona Disrupting the sleep market was all in in in a a a a a a a day’s work for alumnus JT Marino Penn State College of Engineering graduate John-Thomas “JT” Marino committed all his energy to to sleep after graduating in in in in in 2012 when he he started Tuft & Needle —a direct-to-consumer online mattress retailer with a a a a a a “bed in in in a a a a a a box” concept In June 2012 Marino and his college friend Daehee Park launched the beta Tuft & Needle website “We developed a a a a a a a a a a a a a minimally viable product put a a a a a a a a a a a a a stock photo of a a a a a a a a a a a a a mattress on the website test page placed a a a a a a a a a a a a Google ad ad and in in in 15 minutes we we had our first order ” “We developed a a a minimally viable product put a a a stock photo of a a a mattress on the website test page placed a a a a Google ad and in in 15 minutes we had our first order ” From June through October 2012 they built out the the the the remainder of of the the the the platform with $6 000 of of their own money Six years later Tuft & Needle approached approximately $200 million in annual revenue In September 2018 Serta Simmons Bedding (SSB) and and Tuft & Needle Needle merged and and Marino became chief strategy officer of of SSB The move gave Tuft & Needle Needle the the distribution power to expand around the world After Marino arrived at University Park faculty such as as Elizabeth (Liz) C Kisenwether retired assistant professor in in in in in the the School of of of Engineering Design Technology and Professional Programs noticed his unique thinking style “She could tell I was was a a a a a different kind of student and she
was was instrumental in in in in in the the the effort within the the the University to to help recognize and empower me me me ” said Marino “This led to to to the the the development of a a a a a a a a a customized nontraditional curriculum path which allowed my my entrepreneurial interests to to to be be developed and my my confidence to be validated ” n n n n n n n