From Ultimate Frisbee to biomedical engineering

The life of a student can be a busy one, but for senior biomedical engineering major Kerianne Coulon her schedule is an absolute mess – and she likes it that way.

Between Ultimate Frisbee competitions and poster presentations, Coulon hardly has a weekend free.

“I like to stay busy but stay fun. I would rather be involved,” explained Coulon. “Just last weekend I was playing intramural dodgeball just for the fun of it!”

Coulon has been a part of the Ultimate Frisbee Club at Binghamton University since her freshman year and is currently the president of the women’s team. The team plays during both semesters and Coulon is in charge of planning the group’s travel and logistics.

When Coulon isn’t at Ultimate Frisbee competitions, her school work takes up the rest of her time.

“I remember my very first test at Binghamton was in a class with Guy German. It was hard and I bombed it,” said Coulon. “It was at that point that I realized I needed to step up my game. By the time the next test came around, I was ready. I got close to 100 percent.”

Today, Coulon works in assistant professor Guy German’s lab and all that hard work has translated to Coulon attending various conferences.

Most recently, she presented work she did with German at the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) National Conference in Denver, Colo.

The presentation, titled “Measuring in-vivo changes in the mechanical properties of human skin upon application of cosmetic formulations,” earned her a few special connections.

“The conference included a gala after the presentations were done but the tickets were too pricey for me to attend,” said Coulon. “IBM and Raytheon both invited me to sit at their table for the gala. It was a huge honor.”

Coulon grew up in Rochester and decided to attend Binghamton University after a friend recommended it.

“Both of my parents grew up in Syracuse and a good deal of my family went to Cornell. Originally, that was my plan, too, but I had a friend who convinced me that Binghamton was the better fit,” said Coulon.

Coulon went to visit this friend who had also chosen Binghamton University over Cornell. “I liked the feel of the University when I visited,” Coulon said. That feeling combined with cheaper tuition and Coulon’s preferred programs made the decision an easy one, albeit different from what she had planned.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time in the biomedical engineering program,” said Coulon. “It’s a small program so I see the same people in my classes for all four years. The professors know everyone by name and that makes it a lot easier to get research positions.”

She is currently deciding between attending graduate school and finding a full-time position after graduation.

Whatever Coulon chooses, her schedule will probably still be jam-packed with her typical mix of fun activities and challenging research.