Brett Boghigian - Bedford, MA
'I came to Tufts for a variety of reasons. I wanted to go to a school in Massachusetts that had reputable academic programs, but also had a lively social scene. Tufts was a perfect fit for me: close enough to the city to easily hop on the T and get into town, but far enough out of the city not to reap the consequences of a large urban school. Tufts' renowned faculty in a variety of disciplines also attracted me.'

'Needless to say, in less than two years at Tufts I have been exposed to much of the department and I can honestly say that I have not had a bad experience with anyone. Everyone in the department has always greeted me with a smile, has responded to my and my colleague's e-mails, and have done their best to try and promote scholarship and research among not only graduate students but undergraduates as well. What I really like about academia at Tufts is that its professors, and not simply in the chemical and biological engineering department, do not simply care about conducting research and receiving grants, but they take a pride in the passing-on of knowledge to their undergraduate students to get them excited about a career in whatever discipline they are studying.'

Shail Ghaey - Wilmette, IL (north of Chicago)
'I chose Tufts for its location and because Tufts has both a good engineering school as well as a strong liberal arts school.  I also liked how the engineering school promoted well roundedness, including liberal arts requirements… I liked the chemical engineering approach to solving problems.'

'The main (full credit) courses required within the department have been thorough, scientifically speaking.  The other course materials have been sufficient enough to open the door for further discovery upon independent exploration by the student.'

Neelesh Batra - Dracut, MA
'I came to Tufts because it was the perfect fit for me.  Not only did the university have a reputation for excellence, but also after talking with faculty and students, it became apparent to me that there was a sense of family amongst the members of the school of engineering.  I knew that I wanted to go to a university where the professors' doors were always open, and students worked collectively to achieve their common academic goals.  That's what Tufts was all about.

I chose to join the chemical and biological engineering department because I was interested in various aspects of biotechnology, and I felt that the chemical and biological engineering department afforded me the best opportunity to explore that interest.  In addition to providing a solid foundation in the fundamental principles of chemical engineering, it offered a diverse array of elective courses such as protein purification and tissue engineering.  The research being conducted by faculty members such as Dr. Kaplan was also very interesting.  So, in addition to providing a diverse and challenging curriculum, the department also offered many opportunities to gain hands-on laboratory experience in a variety of research areas.'
 
'These past two years I have been working on an exciting new project in one of Dr. Kaplan's labs: applying the polysaccharide emulsan to drug delivery applications.  Being given the responsibility of developing and maintaining a research plan allows one to develop skills that every engineer must have.  It requires an independence of thought and action that promotes self-teaching, critical thinking, and project management skills.  It has by far been my most valuable experience at Tufts in terms of my own intellectual development and serves as one of the strongest assets that the chemical and biological engineering program has to offer prospective undergraduate students.  The skills I have learned by engaging in this project are exactly the types of skills that employers are looking for, and thanks to Tufts, I will have a leg up on the competition when entering the job market.'