Over her four years at American University, Morgan Brinson has done more than just set her own future in motion. She has begun to change the lives of others as well. A senior midfielder on the women's soccer team, Brinson will graduate in May with a degree in physics and a specialization in biomedical engineering that she is already using to make an impact in the field.
 
Brinson has utilized the AU Entrepreneurship Incubator sponsored by the Kogod School of Business to start her own company called AleXandria Technology LLC. With guidance from the Incubator, Brinson worked to build an ACL device that would last longer than the traditional interference screws and help athletes recover from severe knee injuries quicker and more effectively.
 
But how did she get to this point? It all started with an Odyssey of the Mind project in elementary school.
 
Odyssey of the Mind is a critical thinking and problem-solving competition conducted in primary and secondary schools around the world.
 
"We had to construct a robot that consisted of three to five actions," said Brinson. "The robot had to do these actions within a seven-minute skit."
 
Brinson and a team of six other students made it all the way to the World Finals when she was just in fifth grade. While working on the project, she attended workshops at Georgia Tech, just up the road in her hometown of Atlanta and also the alma mater of her mother, Kaye.

"That's where I first got introduced to engineering," said Brinson. "I saw 'biomedical engineering' and since I always got injured growing up, I thought 'oh, that's interesting' and connected the two."
 
Kaye, an electrical engineer herself, says that her daughter has always wanted to help people medically.
 
"When she realized she could mix the engineering part with the medical part, it became even more interesting for her," said Kaye. "She looked at people's prosthetics and was very curious to see how that worked and how it helped them."
 
"My dad has a friend who has a prosthetic leg, and he gave me one of his old legs, so I was able to actually see how it works and look at the mechanics of it," said Brinson. "He signed it, too."
 
Despite not having an engineering program at American, Brinson has been able to create her own degree through the physics track by incorporating different biomedical classes. She also works in AU's Design and Build Lab as a Creative and Technical Specialist (CaTS), aiding students, faculty and staff with different projects involving 3-D printers, laser cutters and other technology.
 

Her passion for helping people inspired her postgraduate plans. Brinson will be attending Rice University in Houston, Texas, pursuing her PhD in biomedical engineering through the PATHS-UP program. PATHS-UP stands for Precise Advanced Technologies and Health Systems for Underserved Populations. The research center aims to change the paradigm for the health of underserved communities by developing revolutionary, cost-effective technologies and systems at the point-of-care.
 
"I want to engineer medical and rehabilitation devices that allow people to get back to their normal lives and what they love," said Brinson. "Whether that be through my own company or other powerhouse labs, I want to make that impact."
 
For Brinson's mother, her daughter's choice to attend Rice for graduate school is a full-circle moment as it was one of her top choices for her undergraduate work, as well. She believes AU has prepared Brinson for the future.
 
"I think AU definitely played a huge part in getting her to where she is because of being an athlete, needing to manage her time, and providing a great education for her," Kaye said. "Once AU started looking at her to play soccer, we looked into the school and realized the standards of education at AU and what she could attain. It was a no-brainer, really, for her to play at AU."
 
It's hard to believe that with all of these other pursuits, Brinson still finds time to play an integral role as one of six seniors on AU women's soccer team during this unique spring season that has had its ups and downs. She says it has been a challenging past 12 months, but being back on the field has made it worth it.
 

"It's been a lot of having to reset yourself and take it day-by-day," said Brinson. "Looking back on things, it was definitely frustrating, but I'm happy with where we are now. Once I had my first sprint on the field, I was like, 'Okay, we're back.'"
 
Brinson and the rest of the Eagles are next scheduled to host Loyola Maryland on Saturday at noon.