Madeleine Henderson

2022 Fulbright U.S. Student Program Grantee

Hometown

Minneapolis, MN

Major

Biomedical Engineering

College

College of Engineering

 

Madeleine Henderson will spend the 2022-2023 school year pursuing a master’s degree in Global Sustainability Solutions at the University of Exeter, an opportunity made possible by a prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant.

While in the UK, Madeleine will draw on the academic and research foundations she forged as a Biomedical Engineering student at Purdue to study the mechanisms that make medical technology more sustainable while enhancing access to healthcare. There is no better place for Madeleine to study waste reduction in the healthcare industry than the UK. The UK is home to the National Health System (NHS), which is the first healthcare system in the world to commit to achieving carbon neutrality. Madeleine will study this system on the local level by writing a thesis that focuses on the ongoing decarbonization efforts of the NHS Royal Devon and Exeter. Outside of her studies, Madeleine is committed to Fulbright’s mission of cultural exchange and community immersion. She wants to give back to her host community in Exeter by volunteering at a local horse-riding center that caters to disabled riders, where she will use her longtime commitment to horses and riding to help support important community efforts.

When she returns to the US, Madeleine anticipates returning to the healthcare field, ideally through non-profit work that advocates for healthcare sustainability. Her long-term ambitions include developing business models that lead the way for zero-waste approaches to medical technology. Her undergraduate training at Purdue and master’s degree from the University of Exeter will be the earliest steps in a promising career that balances patient care, novel with environmental sustainability.