Early in her academic career as a mechanical engineering student, Sienna Magee was sitting around a campfire talking with another member of the Outing Club about her interest in biomedical engineering. “I came to Northeastern in spite of the fact that there’s no major,” she said. This conversation sparked a cascade of connections that ultimately led Magee to several students across colleges who shared her interest.

After a few months of legwork, the group of five ambitious undergrads founded the university’s first biomedical engineering student group in the spring of their freshman year. Alex Colville is the president of Northeastern’s chapter of the Biomedical Engineering Society, which officially joined the national organization last fall. Magee and Daniel Shores are the co-vice presidents. “The group provides a home on campus for students interested in for biomedical engineering,” said Colville, a mechanical engineering major. Chemical engineering major Jennifer Langh was also a co-founder.

Mark Niedre, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Edgar Goluch, assistant professor of chemical engineering, serve as the group’s faculty advisors.

The Northeastern BMES meets every Monday evening and offers a variety of services and opportunities for students interested in biomedical engineering. Each meeting welcomes a new speaker, either from the university community or industry, ranging from Northeastern faculty with research opportunities to CEOs from major biomedical device companies.

Earlier this month, the group launched an ongoing event series that aims to connect students with practicing biomedical engineers. “It’s for students to get a feel for what engineers do,” said co-founder Adam Jaynes, who has been interested in the field before he even knew its proper name.

The first career event welcomed representatives from six companies and attracted more than 50 students and several faculty members. “We’re excited to continue developing it in the future,” said Magee, who noted that the young student group is always looking for ways to improve and welcome new students with fresh ideas.