Stepping on campus, a wave of excitement and nerves washed over me. The days that followed did not disappoint. From tours of state-of-the-art laboratories to engaging seminars by renowned professors, the program exposed us to the latest breakthroughs and ongoing research in biomaterials. All the professors and researchers at TTU welcomed us warmly, and we enjoyed engaging in insightful discussions about their topics of interest. The agenda was thoughtfully crafted and extremely well-rounded, showcasing the varied areas of interest and expertise of each scholar over the course of the week.

Later, at the Medicine, Mechanics, and Manufacturing Design (M3D) Lab, we discovered how 3D printing using these biomaterials could be applied to a wide range of creative solutions—including 3D printed strawberry-flavored mashed potatoes! Finally, at the Innovation Hub, we engaged in a bio-entrepreneurship workshop and learned the principles of ‘innovation to commercialization’ and to develop and sell our innovative bio-business ideas. Despite the different research areas, the common framework between these examples demonstrates TTU’s active pursuit of a bio-innovative future.

I am immensely grateful to the IBD Lab of the Inter-American Development Bank Group (https://bidlab.org/en) for funding this program, the CINDE Biomaterials Hub (https://www.cinde.org/), especially Ms. Carola Medina and Mr. Jonathan Calderon for leading this initiative, and TTU [the Costa Rica campus (https://www.depts.ttu.edu/costarica/) and the main campus in Lubbock (https://www.ttu.edu/)] for co-organizing, and everyone else who made this opportunity possible. I would like to thank all the professors and researchers who took the time to present their projects and answer our questions. Thank you, Dean Clint Krehbiel, Provost Ronald Hendrick, and special thanks to Dr. Jyoti Sharma for hosting us and orchestrating this initiative. I’m sure the scholarship will also be career-defining for many of the scholars, and I urge other bright scientists to apply if there is another iteration of the program in the upcoming years. I hope to inspire others, especially young women in STEM, to pursue their passions with enthusiasm and determination and to make a positive impact on the world through bio-innovation.