Sanjina Rao ME’22

Running for: Council

Campaign Statement

During my undergraduate years at Cooper I was heavily involved with the Engineering Student Council (I was class rep every year, treasurer for two years, and administrative chair my senior year) and student life as a resident assistant. Both these roles helped me not only understand Cooper Union and all that it stood for but also allowed me to advocate for students and really get a feel for student culture. I was really excited to receive the nomination for the alumni council as I believe it will help continue the work I have been doing as a student over the last 4 years but now as an alumnus. It’s safe to say I am very obsessed with and dedicated to the Cooper Union and very excited to see it go back to being tuition-free! I hope to use my excitement and passion for The Cooper Union along with my experiences as a recent graduate to bring a unique perspective to the council.

Biography

I graduated from The Cooper Union in May 2022 with a BE in Chemical Engineering and a minor in
Bioengineering. I grew up in Bangalore, India, and moved to NYC for undergrad, an experience that has been immensely rewarding, and has allowed me to grow so much, and find my true passions. While at Cooper, I kept myself busy by being active in the engineering student council, in ResLife as a three-time resident assistant, and as a chemistry tutor, chemistry stockroom assistant, peer mentor, and admissions ambassador. Currently, I am a Ph.D. student at the University of Delaware studying biomedical engineering. My research interests focus on nanoparticles, drug delivery, biomaterials, and tissue engineering. I am working on ways to use nanovesicles as drug-delivery vehicles for osteoarthritis.