This month’s Hawk Pride Spotlight honoree is Bonnie Haferkamp, senior lecturer of biomedical engineering. She has helped Illinois Tech grow through guiding research, supporting the athletics department, and teaching several courses. She has taught seven different courses in the Biomedical Engineering (BME) department and in the Engineering themes department, both at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Some of these include: Introduction to Research, Quantitative Physiology, Physiology Lab, Intro to Matlab, and Intro to Biomedical Engineering.

Additionally, she is head of the university’s Brazilian science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) program, advising Brazilian students that come to the university for a year to gain knowledge and experience that isn’t available in their home country. This is a large task, as the university hosts more students from this international program than any other institution in the nation.

She also has conducted cancer research recently, where she looked to characterize particular tumors using software approaches.

Bonnie Haferkamp

Haferkamp completed her undergraduate studies in chemical engineering, but says she enjoys teaching in the BME department because it draws on all broader applications of engineering, such as electrical and mechanical. She has also noticed that it brings in creative students that are drawn to think about engineering in unique ways to fit the human body. She is a professor with industry and university experience. as she worked for Rockwell Automation, Abbott Labs, and Siemens before receiving both her master’s and Ph.D. from Illinois Tech.

You can often find Haferkamp at some of Illinois Tech’s home swim meets. Her fondest swim meet memory is of Nicole Frantz completing the mile race. Haferkamp realized that the determination and stamina needed to complete a race of that length was also instrumental in the academic field. She recognized this same determination in Kira Vincent, a student from her BME classes and a member of the track and cross country teams. Vincent is currently pursuing
medical school at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Haferkamp has continuously shown her dedication and support for student athletes in and out of the classroom. The Student Athletic Advising Committee (SAAC) is proud and thankful for all the work she has done and her valuable support to the Illinois Tech community.