The Story of Bio-Med Tech-Girls
Bio-Med Tech-Girls began in 2014 as a unique collaboration between the Tech-Girls program of Charlottesville Women in Tech (CWIT) and the Biomedical Engineering Department of UVA. That first year, eight high school students joined us to explore computer science and biomedical engineering through hands-on activities, lab tours, design challenges, and community building.
In 2023, for our 10th annual program, 15 students from seven high schools toured eight UVA engineering labs, learned from more than 20 UVA student volunteers, took on computer science and biomedical engineering challenges, heard from guest speakers, and shared their projects with family and friends at our final Demo Party.
In 2024, we were excited to see the program enter a new phase. Building on the long-standing collaboration with UVA BME in the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), the school took the lead in expanding the program and launched Engineering-Girls@UVA.
As planning began for the 2025 program, the landscape changed significantly. In January 2025, the federal government issued executive actions directing federal agencies to end DEI-related programs and policies and encouraging broader changes related to DEI practices, including within institutions of higher education. These policy changes had significant effects across universities and other organizations.
During this period, the UVA summer program was opened to students of all genders and renamed Emerging Engineers at UVA.
Ahead of the 2026 Emerging Engineers at UVA program, CWIT was informed by the Dean of UVA SEAS that the school was required to end its affiliation with CWIT, including our involvement with Emerging Engineers at UVA.
While our formal role in the UVA program has ended, the story of Bio-Med Tech-Girls is an important part of CWIT history. What began with eight students in 2014 grew into a decade-long collaboration focused on helping young women see themselves as engineers, scientists, and technologists and on connecting them with people who could help them imagine what might come next.
In 2023, for our 10th annual program, 15 students from seven high schools toured eight UVA engineering labs, learned from more than 20 UVA student volunteers, took on computer science and biomedical engineering challenges, heard from guest speakers, and shared their projects with family and friends at our final Demo Party.
In 2024, we were excited to see the program enter a new phase. Building on the long-standing collaboration with UVA BME in the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), the school took the lead in expanding the program and launched Engineering-Girls@UVA.
As planning began for the 2025 program, the landscape changed significantly. In January 2025, the federal government issued executive actions directing federal agencies to end DEI-related programs and policies and encouraging broader changes related to DEI practices, including within institutions of higher education. These policy changes had significant effects across universities and other organizations.
During this period, the UVA summer program was opened to students of all genders and renamed Emerging Engineers at UVA.
Ahead of the 2026 Emerging Engineers at UVA program, CWIT was informed by the Dean of UVA SEAS that the school was required to end its affiliation with CWIT, including our involvement with Emerging Engineers at UVA.
While our formal role in the UVA program has ended, the story of Bio-Med Tech-Girls is an important part of CWIT history. What began with eight students in 2014 grew into a decade-long collaboration focused on helping young women see themselves as engineers, scientists, and technologists and on connecting them with people who could help them imagine what might come next.
In the News
- Center 1 hosts Girls' Geek Day (February 2023, NBC29)
- BioMed Tech Girls: Inspiring the Next Generation of Engineers with the Hummingbird Robotics Kit (August 2022, Birdbrain Technologies)
- Bio-Med Tech-Girls Program is allowing high school girls to explore their options in the tech world (August 2022, NBC29)
- Chapter 9: We talk to student organizers about Bio-Med Tech-Girls (August 2020, Once Upon a Tech podcast)
- Teen girls challenged with creating technology for disabled children (August 2019, CBS19)
- Blooming from Their Stems: Tech-Girls use empathy in learning STEM (April 2017, Charlottesville Family)
- Students get hands-on experience and career inspiration at Bio-Med Tech-Girls (August 2016, Charlottesville Tomorrow)
- Tech-Girls (January 2016, PBS Charlottesville Inside-Out)
