Sommer Motley
SUCCESS STORIES > HACKING FOR DEFENSE
Sommer Motley
University of Michigan, Winter 2024
Team SuperBlend: Elevating Wellness and Performance
About Sommer
After completing her Bachelor's in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Michigan, Sommer Motley pursued a Master's in Advanced Medical Product Engineering and Development to further her knowledge and expertise in medical device design. She has a particular interest and experience in clinical research, leveraging clinical data for innovation and design. After graduation, Sommer has begun working full-time in a clinical research position at a medical device company, where she will be using her skills to help drive healthcare innovation forward.
Sommer’s project goal was to improve how the current wellness resource evaluation assesses an Army Special Forces operator's wellness and directs them towards resources to help them perform at their highest level. Wellness incorporates five domains: physical, social, emotional, spiritual, and family. A part of the challenge statement was to understand how current wellness resource evaluations in the Army Special Forces can be leveraged to better understand how wellness impacts performance, resource utilization, resource improvement, and overall operator well-being. She helped to spearhead a data analysis plan that the Special Forces group can implement to better understand the current data they collect and use those findings to make data-driven decisions about their wellness program. In this plan, her team recommended specific statistical techniques and data visualization tools that could be incorporated into their existing data management system. The team also provided survey improvement suggestions and overall program feedback based on stakeholder interviews.
Interview
Q: What attracted you to the class?
A: "In my degree program there was never a discussion about a career pathway for biomedical engineers in the Department of Defense or government. Most of my education was geared towards preparing me for a private sector position or academia. During my last semester of my Master's program I wanted to explore what other career pathways might exist and apply my skills in a new way. This particular challenge statement caught my eye as a project that I could apply both my clinical and engineering knowledge to an impactful mission. Wellness in the military impacts not only a soldier's career performance, but also their family and life after service. Being able to contribute in some way to helping soldiers be the best that they can at their jobs and the healthiest version of themselves was a project I couldn't pass up. I also was excited about the opportunity to work with students from different majors and learn from their unique perspectives.”
Q: What value do you feel you got from taking this course?
A: “During Hacking for Defense, I learned a lot about project management, teamwork, and innovation. I was forced out of my comfort zone in both technical and relational aspects of the class, allowing me to grow as both a project contributor and leader amongst my teammates. I enjoyed learning from the stakeholders that we talked to and the various journeys they took to be in the positions they were. This class was an amazing opportunity to grow my professional skills and network with the support of amazing faculty and classroom mentors.”
Q: How did the H4D program impact your thoughts about working in government?
A: "After this program, I now know that there are many opportunities for biomedical engineers in the government and that there is a need for an engineering perspective. While the government at times can be rigid in their processes, they also want to make their force and programs the best that they can be. Helping to make our government a better and safer place, whether through service or through a civilian career, is admirable and extremely rewarding. My project revolved around balancing the military duty of the soldier and the wellbeing of the person. Understanding how both of these things relate to one another was challenging, but very rewarding. I learned that military culture impacts how soldiers interact with healthcare resources and providers, and the greater role that military leadership plays in the success of healthcare initiatives and innovation."