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What if your college internship could directly impact the lives of patients, revolutionize medical technology, and connect you with an inspiring network of innovators? Junior Biomedical Engineering major at the College of Engineering and Computing (CEC), Delaney Richmond, discovered the answer firsthand during her internship with SPR Therapeutics this past summer.

Through a simple LinkedIn search, Richmond found an internship listing for SPR Therapeutics and, after researching their objectives, jumped at the opportunity to apply. SPR Therapeutics is a company that develops non-narcotic, minimally invasive treatments for patients with chronic pain using a technology called peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS). Their SPRINT PNS System, used for 60-day treatments, sends small electrical pulses to the target nerve, interrupting pain signals and improving the brain's response, resulting in less overall pain. As of July this year, the system has been used to treat over 30,000 patients. “My goal has always been to make a difference in lives, and this product is definitely making a big difference,” Richmond said. It wasn’t until her first interview that she realized she and the CEO of SPR Therapeutics shared a special connection: ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University.

earned her BS degree in Engineering Management from the CEC and currently serves as the CEO and Founder of SPR Therapeutics. Before Richmond’s internship began, she participated in a at the Alumni and Friends Gathering. When recalling the experience, Richmond said, “I was very nervous leading up to it because I’m not the biggest fan of public speaking, and I wanted to make a good impression on Maria—I knew I was coming to work for her, and I’d never met her before. But once it was actually happening, it was really great to have genuine conversations and hear about her time at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú and relate it to my time.” Richmond's qualifications, combined with this alumni connection, made her the perfect candidate for the internship.

Maria Bennett '95 answers a question posed by Delaney Richmond '26 at the May 2024 Alumni and Friends gathering.

From the moment Delaney Richmond stepped into , she knew she was part of something bigger—a company where cutting-edge medical innovation meets a genuine passion for patient care. When asked what makes the company special, Richmond said, “The company culture and the people. Everyone’s common goal is the patient, and everyone cares for every single patient—the safety of the patient and their betterment—and just always improving, whether it be within the company or in other ways with patients and different products.” As for the impact the internship had on her as a future professional, she explained what a day in the office as a full-time intern looked like: “They’re all different… that’s something I really like about working here—it’s never the same thing every day. Some days I’m in the lab doing different testing or builds, and other days I’m writing documents, generating drawings through a CAD software called SolidWorks, and doing 3D printing,” she said.

In addition to being on the executive team of the Society of Women Engineers, Richmond is a Student Associate at the Center for Career Exploration and Success at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University. Her advice to students seeking internships this upcoming year is “to apply for as many as you want that interest you. The people I work with have been able to give me tips, and being able to tailor your resume to the specific words in the job application” is crucial. She concluded with the following advice: “Apply to anything that interests you because the worst they can say is no.”

For Delaney Richmond, every day of her summer internship experience was different. "Some days I’m in the lab doing different testing or builds, and other days I’m writing documents, generating drawings through a CAD software called SolidWorks, and doing 3D printing,” she said.

Delaney Richmond’s journey through her internship at SPR Therapeutics embodies the spirit of CEC’s Socially Engaged Engineering and Computing (SEEC) initiative—one where students turn their academic knowledge into real-world solutions that improve lives. Her experience is just one example of how CEC students are using their skills to make a tangible difference in the world. Through the support of ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University’s extensive alumni network and a shared commitment to innovation, these students are not only shaping their own futures but also paving the way for groundbreaking advancements in healthcare and beyond.