Logan Goodbred still wasn’t sure what specific career path he wanted to pursue when he attended Fall Engineering Expo at the University of Tennessee in 2023. At the Expo, Goodbred connected with representatives from Siemens Healthineers. The medical technology company’s Knoxville facility manufactures molecular imaging systems, including PET/CT and SPECT/CT scanners.
Goodbred served a co-op with Siemens during the spring and summer of 2024 as a systems engineering intern. He helped troubleshoot scanners and learned more about how innovative medical devices can help people.
“My co-op at Siemens really got me interested in exploring careers in the medical imaging space,” Goodbred said. “I’ve read a bunch of papers on medical imaging, upcoming medical imaging methods, and that just really excites me right now.”
Goodbred obtained his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from UT last spring. He is currently enrolled in the two-year dual MBA/MS Biomedical Engineering program at UT while working as a graduate research assistant in the group of Dayakar Penumadu, the Fred N. Peebles Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Goodbred has been working with Penumadu’s group since 2022, primarily focused on X-ray research with materials. He’s been able to work with traditional X-ray computed tomography and on grating-based interferometry.
“Logan has blossomed as a great researcher and careful scientist. His ability to work with diverse disciplines and a passion for perfection will take him to successful places,” Penumadu said. “Logan has experienced advanced concepts in X-ray imaging widely applicable for biomedical applications and his graduate study on using grating interferometry for medical applications will be very impactful.”
Experience Matters
Goodbred, a Chicago area native, grew up with an interest in science and considered attending medical school.
“By the middle-to-end of high school, I realized I seemed to have a very technical mindset,” he said. “I like working with my hands and I enjoy being able to work with anything that’s hands on. I thought engineering would be a great career path, because it is such an in-need field overall, and it utilizes the skills that I find interesting and hope to better myself by learning.”
Goodbred was drawn to UT by the university’s strong engineering programs, the location, and the connection to potential employers. After his sophomore year, he interned at Tyson Foods in Union City, Tennessee, in food safety and quality assurance.
The experience showed Goodbred how impactful internships and co-op experiences were for undergraduate students.
“The biggest thing is that it gave me real-world, hands-on experience. I think it’s a very important thing for engineers that we don’t talk about enough,” he said. “The world of academia and the world of industry are completely different, and engineering students don’t really get to understand that until they have the opportunity to work in the field.”
Goodbred felt so strongly that he became an ambassador for the Engineering Professional Practice office within the Tickle College of Engineering.
“I want to repay my debts and pay it forward to assist other students in getting internships,” Goodbred said. “These are the experiences that students need to reinforce skills they learn in the classroom. Ultimately, that is what will help them discover what they want to do for a career.”
Contact
Rhiannon Potkey ([email protected])