Edmund Totah Takes the Lead as Engineering Student Council President

Nov. 4, 2024 - As a child, Edmund Totah gravitated toward math and science, but when he had an open elective in 8th grade, he had a different idea; he wanted to take drama. His dad suggested an engineering course, thinking that his son would enjoy the experiments and hands-on nature of the class.

“I really wanted to take drama,” he said. “That was a battle I did not win, and I’m grateful I didn’t win because I ended up loving engineering.”

The fourth-year biomedical engineering student is now serving as UC Irvine’s Engineering Student Council (ESC) 2024-25 president. ESC is a professional and social group that represents the Samueli School of Engineering’s student base and works with other engineering organizations within the university. The council has over 125 active members and hosts community outreach events, technical workshops and networking opportunities for Samueli School students.

Totah narrowed his focus to biomedical technology in high school since he hoped to enter the medical field but not as a doctor. He came to UCI because of its proximity to an active biomedical engineering community, and he has completed internships at both a cardiovascular device startup and a neurovascular technology company during his time at UCI.

During his freshman year, Totah discovered ESC’s Leaders in Freshman Engineering (LIFE) program through his then roommate. The program is a yearlong commitment during which members collaborate to host student-faculty networking events, gain project leadership experience and build skills, and create a strong foundation as an Anteater engineer. Totah and his roommates completed a project together that they pitched at ESC’s annual LIFETank competition.

“Engineering Student Council gradually became what I wanted to spend time on and my involvement ramped up,” said Totah. “It never felt like work and was always a social outlet for me.”

Totah served as a general member of the corporate affairs committee in his sophomore year, after which he successfully ran for vice president of development on last year’s cabinet. As vice president, he codirected the LIFE program, serving as a mentor to first-year engineering students.

“One of my favorite memories is from a Saturday evening during last winter break when a LIFE member messaged me to ask for help with his resume, and I spent the next two hours helping him build a resume and answering questions,” recalled Totah. “We did fun events and technical workshops, but unplanned moments like that when people reached out to me with questions that I was able to answer were the best part.”

During that time, Totah received help from many professors and mentors, but he was most inspired by his predecessor, 2023-24 ESC President Ronit Shrestha. They have worked together since Totah’s sophomore year, and he said he started to gain a deeper understanding of the biomedical engineering field and future careers with Shrestha’s guidance. As he moves into Shrestha’s position, Totah intends to continue promoting social and professional connections through ESC, and he is excited to work with other engineering organizations on campus.

“I really appreciate how open all of the different programs and clubs are at UCI,” said Totah. “I want to emphasize that our meetings and opportunities are open to all students and can benefit students, even if they are not general members of ESC.”

Totah will begin working on his senior design project later this year alongside one of his freshman-year LIFETank project partners. He hopes to attend graduate school for materials science next fall, and he is interested in researching how medical devices can be more sustainably designed.

“I think my initial interest in taking drama classes was a reflection of my ability to collaborate with other people toward a common goal, and that desire to work with other people definitely plays a role in engineering and as a leader in ESC,” said Totah.

– Lilith Christopher