Zachary Bender Email & Phone Number

Hello! My name is Zachary Bender, and I am a Masters student in Biomedical Engineering at South Dakota Mines with an expected graduation date of December 2024. I recently graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering with a Biomaterials minor. I am also pursuing a Master of Science in Biotechnology Management from Mount Marty University with an expected graduation date of December 2025. As a graduate research assistant at South Dakota Mines, I have focused on the development of hyperpolarization systems for enhancing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signals. This included the complete construction of a Signal Amplification by Reversible Exchange (SABRE) hyperpolarization system for enhancing cancer imaging capabilities, and the construction of a precision temperature controller for optimizing SABRE hyperpolarization sensitivity data. My research at South Dakota Mines has taught me skills in project management, technical writing, SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor, Python, MATLAB, and Minitab. This last summer, during my DAAD Rise Professional Internship at GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Mainz, Germany, I constructed an additional temperature controller for a Zero-To-Ultralow-Frequency (ZULF) NMR system and assembled a portable SABRE hyperpolarization setup for clinical use in hospitals. I also have industrial experience at Astellas Gene Therapies as a Quality Assurance Intern. My responsibilities during my internship included the improvement of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in compliance with GMP and FDA regulations. I contributed to materials management and inspection processes. I also had the opportunity to work closely with the process engineering team to perform quality assurance walkthroughs of the GMP-compliant biologic manufacturing floor. As a graduate teaching assistant and former undergraduate teaching assistant, I have gained valuable skills in mentorship, leadership, student support, and instructional planning. Outside of academia and industry, I am actively involved in the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society and the Biomedical Engineering Society at South Dakota Mines. I am also certified as a Six Sigma Black Belt. I am looking forward to entering the industry in January 2025 and have skills in process development, process engineering, manufacturing, research & development, and medical device development. I am open to employment opportunties and can be contacted at zachary.bender@mines.sdsmt.edu.