A trip down memory lane

On a typical autumn day, one that was very much like that ten years ago when the Department accepted undergraduates for the first time, the inaugural reunion of bioengineering undergraduates took place. Alumni from all years since 2005, even one or two from 2012, attended the event, which began with a drinks reception and tour of the Department, kick starting the trip down academic memory lane. At this point, it is only fair to point out that I only managed to leave the Department in 2011, and hence my eyes were fully prepared to meet the fluorescent green, yellow and pink colour schemes.

Actual windows instead of portholes!

When I started the course, the Bagrit Centre was housed in the basement of Mechanical Engineering, complete with bridges and portholes, a far cry from the sweeping corridors, expansive offices and actual windows now found in RSM. 

In the old Bagrit Centre, our lectures took place in darkened rooms under control conditions perhaps in fitting with the fact that the first few years of undergrads were guinea pigs (in fact, my PhD office was in an old lab situated next door to a frozen camel head). However, our role as experimental subjects was one that we accepted willingly, and it is clear that the experiences did us no harm, in fact, the opposite.  Speaking to people throughout the night, I was thrilled by the variety of career paths that people had taken; accountants, lawyers, bioengineering consultants, academics galore and yes, even some bankers. It might have been the champagne, but I’m sure that one academic research project involved locomotion inspired by the fluid structure interaction of penguins’ wings – if that isn't proper bioengineering then I’m not sure what is!

A few grey hairs…

Clearly our lecturers were not too heavily traumatised by their experience, a few additional grey follicles aside (they were not the only ones), as some even managed to tear themselves away from their computers, and it was lovely to see Maurico Barahona, Anil Bharath, Martin Boutelle, Anthony Bull, Manos Drakakis, Helen Findon, Martin Holloway, Danny O Hare, Laura McKay, Kim Parker, Britta Ross and Mengxing Tang.

After the tour we convened, in the (hallowed) grounds of the Rector’s House on Queen’s Gate for dinner, fun and more reminiscing. In between refills of champagne, our Head of Department Anthony Bull, gave an inspiring speech, recounting the growth of the Department and our role in its growth.

During dinner, full-blown reminiscing was underway, some common memories included our bafflement at Foundations of Engineering in the first year (which thankfully all changed with the arrival of Martin Holloway), our bewilderment at the number of words Danny O’Hare could say per second, and our wonderment at the infinite well of knowledge that is Kim Parker (and of course his penchant for ice cream).

The magnificent Photo Emporium

This soon gave way to hilarity upon discovery of the Photo Emporium, complete with a glamorous red velvet backdrop and vintage props, the silliness of the poses in direct proportion to the amount of alcohol consumed and strength of the friendships! And still, the evening didn’t end there, with the festivities spilling out onto Gloucester Road. When I could finally bring myself to leave at 2am, with a head full of happy memories, I was glad to know that there were still some lecturers and alumni partying away in a small corner of SW7.

The whole event was beautifully organised by Helen Findon, to whom we owe a huge thank-you, and who included some wonderful keepsakes such as bioengineering M & Ms and a bioengineering robot man USB stick. Congratulations to Fabian Siddiqi (MEng 2011) who won first prize in the grand raffle - a beautiful, specially commisioned, hand drawn illustration of the Royal School of Mines

On the Department’s Facebook page you can find the photos and the ‘Words of Wisdom’ written during the evening. Reading through these it is clear to see the overriding themes of a bioengineering undergraduate degree course: the intensity of the course, the depths of insanity that exams can induce, but most of all the lasting and unforgettable friendships that are formed.

It is a cliché that your university years are some of your happiest, but for me, so far, it is true.  I loved my four years as a bioengineering undergraduate and was very excited to return this September.  I think there may be more reunions planned for the future, and I look forward to seeing everyone there!

by Sevil Payvandi, MEng Biomedical Engineering 2006, PhD 2011