1. 123 Leverett Mail Center, Cambridge, MA 02138
360-915-2337
acullen@college.harvard.edu
Alexander J. (Alex) Cullen
Experiences and Extracurriculars
Summer 2015
Spectranetics Corporation (SPNC) Colorado Springs, CO
 Was selected to participate in a summer project with two other college students in SPNC’s
Research and Development Department, the objective being to design and construct a test
bench for the company’s TightRail lead extraction device. The bench provides distance and
force data for the duration of the TightRail’s trigger cycle, and can be adjusted to operate the
device with variable pull force, pull frequency, and rep count. A second task was to
implement SolidWorks drawings and a standard operating procedure for building silicone
lesion models, which simulate bodily obstructions encountered while using the TightRail. (In
doing so, I also assembled a number of such models for company use.)
Summer 2016
Spectranetics Corporation (SPNC) Colorado Springs, CO
 Was given a second position within the Research and Development Department, consisting
of reliability testing for various components of SPNC’s next-generation excimer laser. The
first task was designing, programming, and building an automated test fixture that examines
a step motor for consistent performance. Attached to this motor is an attenuator that refines
laser beam intensity, and the seamless rotation of the attenuator with the motor is critical to
performance. In summary, my fixture sends pulses to the motor, then ensures that the rotation
of the motor shaft and the attenuator match the intended arc length. Secondly, I invented and
constructed another programmable fixture for verifying the performance of the laser’s
catheter coupler. The coupler uses a pin switch system, whereby different catheter models,
once inserted into the coupler, use specific pin configurations to activate appropriate settings
on the laser. My responsibility was to ensure successfuloperation of these pin switches, in
addition to monitoring the alignment of the catheter within the coupler, which is crucial for
precise beam positioning. Over these few months, I continued to develop many of the skills
acquired in 2015, with notable focus on the proper wiring of electronic devices. Additionally,
2016 was unique in that I worked independently on this project, with no fellow interns
sharing the same objective. This further taught me to learn avidly on my own, and to take the
initiative to seek out help when needed.
Summer 2012
Ambassadors in Sport Santiago, Chile
 In the summer of 2012, my dad and I travelled to Santiago, partnering with Ambassadors in

2. 360-915-2337  acullen@college.harvard.edu
Alex Cullen
Sport to play futsal as a form of Christian ministry. While there, we played in two of
Santiago’s maximum-security prisons, competing against the inmates and interacting with
them afterward. We also played with kids at a local elementary school, and spent a day
working with students in a special education program, which was a personal highlight of the
trip. On our last day, we partook in a futsal match against the Chilean national futsal team
(we inevitably lost, but it was an unforgettable experience).
Harvard Republican Club (HRC):served as secretary of the club from 2015-2016, which involved
setting up and tearing down for events, advertising club functions, and taking meeting notes at
executive board meetings
Harvard Men’s Club Soccer:play outside left midfield for the team; Ivy League champions (spring
2016); Regional Runner-Up (fall 2015)
Harvard College Christian Impact/Athletes in Action (CI/AIA):Play guitar in the worship band
on Tuesday nights; co-leader of a weekly Bible study that meets on Tuesday afternoons
Bureau ofStudy Counsel (BSC) Tutor:give students informal academic help in 1 or 2-hour
sessions; this typically includes explaining concepts essential to understanding homework problems
or performing well on midterms; I am qualified to tutor in all courses listed in the next section, in
addition to Spanish and government classes,with my specialty being differential equations.
Pine Creek High School Peer Partner Program: during the fall semester of senior year, I worked
in our school’s special education department, accompanying students to their classes and helping
them take notes, develop study skills, and build relationships.
Education
Aug ’14 – Present Harvard College class of 2018 Cambridge, MA
Biomedical Engineering Concentration
 3.735 GPA
 Awarded the opportunity to serve as a tutor in Engineering Sciences 53, Bioengineering 191,
Physics 15a, Physics 15b, Math 23a, Applied Math 105, Applied Math 21b, Life Sciences 1a,
and Life Sciences 1b, among other non-technical classes.
 Required at least an A-, as well as overall proficiency, in these courses during the time I was
enrolled

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Alex Cullen
Technical Coursework (See Transcript for Full Course List)
Aug ’14 – Dec ‘14 Harvard College
Math 23a: Linear Algebra and Re al Analysis I
 Module 1: Linear Algebra (vectors,linear transformations,eigenvalues,eigenvectors)
 Module 2: RealAnalysis (limits,continuity,sequences,series)
 Module 3: Multivariable Calculus and Applications of Prior Modules (differentiation,inverse and
implicit functions,fields,manifolds,optimization with Lagrange multipliers,line integrals,curl,
divergence)
 Skills: Used the software R to solve select problems from all modules; used LaTeXto create
organized math documents
Aug ’14 – Dec ’14 Harvard College
Physics 15a: Introductory Mechanics and Re lativity
 TranslationalMotion:kinematics,forces,work/energy,momentum
 RotationalMotion:kinematics,torque, moment of inertia,centerof mass,rotationalenergy,
angular momentum
 Other:static equilibrium, oscillations,simple harmonic motion,gravity and planetary motion,
specialrelativity
 Principles of Scientific Inquiry (PSI)Lab Component:our group’s two projectswere an
investigation of air drag (performed with falling coffee filters)and an inquiry into a swinging
Atwood machine (which we found to require Lagrangians for solutions)
 Skills: Used the software MATLAB to do basic modeling and data analysis for lab work
Jan ’15 – May ’15 Harvard College
Applie d Math 21b: Applications in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering
 Linear Algebra
 Optimization and Least-SquaresAnalysis
 Ordinary DifferentialEquations and Introduction to PartialDifferential Equations
 Infinite Series and Fourier Series
 Orthogonality and Completeness
 This class provided more MATLAB experience,such as solving systems of linear equations,
visualizing steady-state solutions, and finding/plotting solutions to differential equations
Jan ’15 – May ’15 Harvard College
Physics 15b: Introductory Electromagnetism
 Topics:electrostatics,electric currents,magnetic field,electromagnetic induction,Maxwell's
equations,electromagnetic radiation,and electric and magnetic fields in materials
 PSI Lab Component:the lab structure for this course was similar to that of Physics15a;we
investigated severalpuzzling phenomena involving relevant course topics,then conceived
explanations using modeling and experimentation

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Alex Cullen
Aug ’15 – Dec ’15 Harvard College
Engineering Sciences 53: Quantitative Physiology as a Basis for Bioengineering
 Topics: the cardiovascular system (including cardiac anatomy, the fluid-like qualities of
blood, and ECG’s), the pulmonary system (dealing with topics such as Hemoglobin
saturation, oxygen consumption, respiratory rate, and alveolar ventilation), the neural system
(mostly consisting of a quantitative approach to action potentials using the Hodgkin-Huxley
Model and conductance equations), and the visual system (incorporating the anatomy of the
eye, the light-induced responses of photoreceptors and retinal ganglion cells, and the focal
power of lenses)
 This course relied heavily on Matlab for completing labs, and we gained a much better
understanding of different techniques for data modeling and analysis, such as locating
extrema, eliminating outliers, finding regression equations, and evaluating the strength of
correlation between actualand predicted values
Aug ’15 – Dec ’15 Harvard College
Life Sciences 1a: An Integrated Introduction to the Life Sciences
 This course presented a unique approach to chemistry and biology as closely intertwined; it
began with atomic structure and intermolecular forces,using these concepts as a launchpad
for explaining cellular processes such as DNA replication, transcription, and translation;
enzyme catalysis; cell signaling; and viral infection.
Jan ’16 – May ’16 Harvard College
Life Sciences 1b: An Integrated Introduction to the Life Sciences: Genetics, Genomics,
and Evolution
 This course covered Mendelian genetics, quantitative genetics, and population genetics. We
further discussed genetic mutations, exceptions to standard modes of inheritance, epigenetics,
phylogenetic trees,the microbiome, and drug resistance,among other related topics. Life
Sciences 1b was grounded on the centraldogma introduced in LS 1a. Lab work included an
interesting unit in which we studied our own DNA, seeking to confirm phenotypes with
genotypic investigation.
Jan ’16 – May ’16 Harvard College
BE 191: Introduction to Biomaterials
 This class taught a foundational understanding of the chemistry behind synthetic and natural
biomaterials. Topics included Young’s Modulus, stress vs. strain curves, plastic and elastic
deformation, crystalline and amorphous structures,oscillatory shear rheology, drug release,
and the body’s immune response to foreign materials. The centrallaboratory project was an
extensive investigation of the physical properties of alginate and pHEMA hydrogels,

5. 360-915-2337  acullen@college.harvard.edu
Alex Cullen
followed by a formal lab report written like a publication in a scientific journal. The course
culminated with a group design project, with our choice being an injectable, self-expanding
polyurethane foam designed to stanch bleeding from battlefield wounds.
Jan ’16 – May ’16 Harvard College
Applie d Math 105: Ordinary and Partial Diffe rential Equations
 This course initially built on concepts from Applied Math 21b, such as separable ODE’s,
integrating factors,and methods of undetermined coefficients; but it also covered more
advanced variations, such as Euler equations, Bernoulli Equations (i.e. change of variables),
and variation of parameters. We proceeded to investigate power series solutions to ODE’s,
which led into Fourier analysis, eigenvalue problems, and Sturm-Liouville theory. The final
unit on partial differential equations covered the diffusion equation, random walks, the wave
equation, and the Laplace equation. Applied Math 105 extensively incorporated Matlab
within problem sets,and it was especially useful for the segment on Fourier analysis. A final
project capped off the semester,and for this our group chose to explore and understand the
Black-Scholes equation and formula—widely used in economics for predicting call
options—comparing predicted values to historical data.
Aug ’16 – Dec ’16 Harvard College
BE 110: Physiological Systems Analysis
 BE 110 showed how to mathematically calculate convolution, and introduced the use of
convolution in signal filtering. Among other things, this course covered Fourier Transforms,
Fourier Series, the complementary nature of time and frequency domains, feedback control
systems (with the pancreatic feedback loop as a biological example), Bode Plots, signal
sampling, time invariance of signals, and system stability. The semester culminated with a
final project, for which I wrote the majority of Matlab code to isolate and find the area of
white matter lesions present in MRI brain scans of dementia patients.
Aug ’16 – Dec ’16 Harvard College
CHEM 17: Principles of Organic Chemistry
 As the first semester of organic chemistry, this course taught the basics of structure and
bonding, reaction mechanisms, and chemical reactivity. Along with other concepts, we
discussed acidity and basicity, nucleophilicity and electrophilicity, stereochemistry,
substitution and elimination reactions, reactions with enols and enol equivalents, aldol and
retro-aldol reactions, Claisen condensation, Mannich reactions, Robinson annulation,
electrophilic aromatic substitution, hydroboration, and iminium formation/hydrolysis. Chem
17 had no laboratory component, but Chem 27 in the spring will have five-hour lab sessions.