Two biomedical engineers hailing from Michigan — Rachel Strauss of Troy and Megan Bland from Clarkston — strive to make positive changes on a global level.

Through diligent teamwork and collaboration they have successfully designed an inexpensive and simple way to fabricate a child restraint. Dubbed the “M-SEAT”, it has passed the nation’s highest standards for rear- and front-facing impact.

“I chose to go into biomedical engineering because I wanted to have a career that would enable me to use my abilities to help improve healthcare and human lives,” Bland says. “I feel extremely fortunate to do that through M-SEAT and the College of Engineering (CoE).”

“We were all very happy to see that crash testing proved that this concept is feasible. It was very gratifying to see the vast amount of time put into this project paid off,” Strauss says.

The M-SEAT was inspired by some troubling statistics. The leading causes of death for children 3-14 years old are motor vehicle accidents. However, only 20 percent of low-income countries enforce child safety restraint laws. In an effort to shift these trends, the pair intends to identify areas of need, and simply give away the validated design.

The M-SEAT is just one facet of their studies at CoE. Strauss is a university mentor, and Bland is a mentor with the Women in Science and Engineering Residence Program.

They also occupy leadership roles with the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). Bland currently is the Corporate Information Sessions director for SWE. Strauss, a Marian Sarah Parker Scholar, also is committed to SWE as the secretary of the Corporate Information Sessions Committee.

After graduation, both women will continue their education at CoE through the Sequential Graduate Undergraduate Studies (SGUS) program as they pursue master’s degrees in biomedical engineering.

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