Summer 2008

Rachel Miller Cited on All USA College Academic Team

If “tenacity” was a movie, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology senior biomedical engineering major Rachel Miller wouldn’t just be the title character, she would be the hero.

And, Miller recently earned an Oscar, being recognized among the nation’s top 60 college students on the 2008 All-USA College Academic Team, published in USA Today. The Texas native was a third-team selection and continues a proud tradition of Rose-Hulman students receiving such national recognition.

“Rachel’s a great story in perseverance,” says soccer coach Brad Hauter.

Miller broke her foot in 2004, the summer before arriving for her freshman year at Rose- Hulman. She arrived on campus with a protective device around her injured foot, unable to train or play. Undaunted in her pursuit to be a member of the team, Miller attended every practice and took advantage of the time by doing push-ups and sit-ups on the sidelines.

“She worked harder than the players on the field,” Hauter recalled.

Miller’s hard work earned her the role as starting goalkeeper the next season. However, she was back on the sidelines at the end of her junior year after suffering a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in her left knee causing her to miss half the season.

Miller came back to lead the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference in goals against average (0.60) and victories (19), and helped the team achieve a school-record 12 shutouts, its first conference championship and qualification to the NCAA Division III tournament. She was a third team all-region selection from D3kicks.com and a third team academic all-district honoree from ESPN: The Magazine and the College Sports Information Directors of America.

Miller’s injuries were part of her inspiration to pursue an interest in biomedical engineering and use her talents to conduct cuttingedge research to benefit society. She began conducting independent research on tissue engineered ligament replacements, during the same year she tore her ACL, under the guidance of Applied Biology and Biomedical Engineering Professor Kay C Dee.

The ACL does not heal when injured and as many as 95,000 people undergo surgical ACL reconstruction each year in the United States. Currently, there are no good options for ACL reconstruction. The best option is to cut out a piece of the patient’s patellar tendon and use it to replace the ACL. This requires additional surgery, pain and extended recovery time. Without a stable ACL, the knee is prone to collapse. In a best-case scenario this causes limited mobility, hip and back pain, and severe long-term problems. In the worst of cases, the patient can’t walk.

During her research, Miller discovered a key dehydration step in the fabrication of collagen fibers, which strengthened the fibers by 500 to 10,000 times. Her discovery meant tissue-engineered collagen is now strong enough to replace real, human ligaments.

Miller’s research hasn’t gone unnoticed. She made a presentation before professional researchers, doctors and biomedical engineering professors at the prestigious 2007 Society for Biomaterials national meeting. Miller also had a summer internship in 2007 with the National Institutes of Health, which attracts the best and brightest students from throughout the world. She researched musculoskeletal abnormalities in people with Cerebral Palsy, hoping to improve mobility treatment for patients.

“Rachel’s willingness to help and support the other students in the program was a clear sign of her respect for others and a true mark of her integrity of character,” stated Frances Gavelli, principal investigator for the NEH’s physical disabilities branch. “She is self-motivated, is eager to learn and quickly returns this knowledge back to her community.”

This school year, Miller has been part of a team of senior biomedical engineering students that have designed a device that tests aspects of the interactions of athletic shoes with turf or grass playing fields.

“It’s really frustrating not to be able to get around very easily,” said Miller, who came to Rose-Hulman from Spring, Texas. “My own injuries put my research into perspective how much you can help people by giving them mobility.”

Miller’s passion for helping people extends beyond her research. Hauter said her altruism is understated.

“She downplays it,” he said. “But it’s part of who she is; it’s part of her day.”

Dee also noted this characteristic in Miller’s classroom and laboratory endeavors.

“She’s unflappable—calm in the face of challenge,” the professor said.

Miller is currently awaiting admissions decisions from several physical therapy and movement science graduate programs.

Miller becomes the fifth Rose-Hulman student to be recognized on the All-USA College Academic Team. Eric Clifft (Mech. Eng., ’07) was a second-team choice last year, Chad Zarse (AB, ’05) was a second-team choice in 2005, Rachel Lukens (Elect. Eng., ’03) was a second-team choice in 2003 and Dylan Schikel (Mech. Eng., ’93) was an honorable mention selection in 1993.