# 007 - "Beyond The Obvious" with Miiri Kotche

- Show: [Let's Combinate](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate)
- Published: 2021-11-17
- Length: 52m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-11-17-007-beyond-the-obvious-with-miiri-kotche
- Listen: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/letscombinate/episodes/007---Beyond-The-Obvious-with-Miiri-Kotche-e1ad3t7

## Summary

Dr. Miiri Kotche, Associate Dean at UIC College of Engineering and former Validation Engineer, discusses her transition from industry to academia, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and clinical immersion for biomedical engineering students. She details her Fulbright Scholar experience at VTT in Finland, focusing on translating user needs into engineering design requirements, and describes her current leadership of the MAD Lab and STEM outreach programs like BEST. Kotche highlights the challenges of teaching during the pandemic and the value of exposing students to real-world clinical workflows to identify unmet needs.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-11-17-007-beyond-the-obvious-with-miiri-kotche#t=0) Introduction: Subi Sade and Dr. Miiri Kotche
- [2:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-11-17-007-beyond-the-obvious-with-miiri-kotche#t=126) Dr. Kotche's Career: From Validation Engineer to Professor
- [7:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-11-17-007-beyond-the-obvious-with-miiri-kotche#t=422) The Value of Industry Experience in Engineering Education
- [13:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-11-17-007-beyond-the-obvious-with-miiri-kotche#t=809) UIC Programs: IPD, MAD Lab, and Clinical Immersion
- [28:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-11-17-007-beyond-the-obvious-with-miiri-kotche#t=1685) Teaching Challenges During the Pandemic
- [30:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-11-17-007-beyond-the-obvious-with-miiri-kotche#t=1804) Fulbright Scholarship at VTT in Finland
- [41:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-11-17-007-beyond-the-obvious-with-miiri-kotche#t=2475) User-Centered Design vs. Technology for Technology's Sake
- [44:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-11-17-007-beyond-the-obvious-with-miiri-kotche#t=2688) STEM Outreach: The BEST Program and ASEE

## Topics

- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Medical & health devices](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/medical-devices)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)

## Most relevant to

established companies

## Mentioned

- UIC (company)
- VTT (company)
- Baxter (company)
- MAD Lab (product)
- BEST (product)
- ASEE (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [S2E03 Engineering Empathy, Identifying Needs, & Developing Strong Work Ethic | Blayne Roeder](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-01-22-s2e03-engineering-empathy-identifying-needs-developing-strong-work-ethic-blayne) (Being an Engineer)
- [S6E48 Brent Lavin | Bridging Engineering & Commercialization](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-11-28-s6e48-brent-lavin-bridging-engineering-commercialization) (Being an Engineer)
- [S1E31 Feedback From the Floor, Purdue, & Toothpaste Boxes | Kirsty Crofton](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-08-21-s1e31-feedback-from-the-floor-purdue-toothpaste-boxes-kirsty-crofton) (Being an Engineer)
- [Mark Wehde | Engineering at The Mayo Clinic](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-09-02-mark-wehde-engineering-at-the-mayo-clinic) (Being an Engineer)
- [#425: The "Front End" of Medical Device Innovation: From Idea to Market](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2025-09-22-425-the-front-end-of-medical-device-innovation-from-idea-to-market) (Global Medical Device Podcast)

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