Kylie Williams, a PhD candidate in the Guldberg Lab at the Knight Campus Department of Bioengineering, successfully defended her dissertation. She will become the first student to receive a Ph.D. in bioengineering at the Knight Campus and the first student at the University of Oregon to receive a degree in engineering.

Williams’ presentation, "Leveraging Rehabilitation and Implantable Strain Sensors to Improve Bone Healing After Traumatic Femur Fractures," highlighted strategies to enhance recovery following severe injuries. A dedicated researcher in the lab of Knight Campus Executive Director Bob Guldberg, Williams, is a member of the first cohort of bioengineering PhD students at the Knight Campus and the first Knight Campus Chris Lee Innovation Fellow. As one of the first students to arrive at the Knight Campus after studying biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology as a undergraduate, she played a key role in helping to build the bioengineering program and worked closely with faculty from the Lundquist College of Business to develop a first-ever offering of business courses for STEM students.

In addition to her Ph.D. in bioengineering, Williams will receive a Graduate Specialization in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from the Lundquist College of Business. Following her graduation, she will join the Knight Campus startup Penderia, helping to develop biosensors to monitor healing from orthopedic injury.