Fischell Institute Intern Spotlight: Trent Crumback

Trent Crumback is a rising senior studying bioengineering. This summer, he is a Fischell Institute intern in Fischell Institute Fellow Greg Payne's research group.

Crumback discovered his passion for engineering through a course in high school. That class, combined with his growing interest in the medical field, inspired him to study bioengineering. He chose to attend the University of Maryland for its highly regarded undergraduate bioengineering program.

Crumback said working with Greg Payne has been an exciting experience. He has conducted research and explored the field of electrochemistry with great mentors who guide him in the right direction.

While at the internship, he hopes to learn how the research industry works and get on-hands experience in a lab setting.

Crumback is currently working on the electrodeposition of hydrogels. In addition, he is creating an instructional video that can be used to demonstrate how certain hydrogels are made, along with the different ways to manipulate the gels using electrodeposition.

"It is exciting to create a resource that is valuable to other students and possibly the next generation learning about this new and widely unknown topic," he said.

Greg Payne noted that Crumback jumped into this project and has shown the unique ability to assimilate a tremendous amount of information from detailed technical reports and then to apply these ideas in the design of his own experiment.

"His ability to extract key points also makes him really good at communication – he knows how to focus his message. We’re really happy to have him on our team," said Greg Payne.

After graduation, Crumback aims to get a job at a medical device company and help produce devices to save lives. Outside of research, he enjoys fishing, working out, watching sports, and spending time with friends.

Published July 20, 2023