When Emily Imka was a high school student at Hathaway Brown School, she went to NASA Glenn Research Center as an intern through her school’s Fellowship in Science Research & Engineering Program. “It was a way for me to explore my interest in research in a structured way with mentors,” she said. “I was an artist, but I hadn’t realized yet that there were legitimate careers in art with a connection to the sciences.”
Imka’s interest in the interaction between arts and sciences led her to pursue a career as a biomedical artist. She earned her B.F.A. in biomedical art at Cleveland Institute of Art and is now a graphic designer at the Human Fusions Institute.
At HFI, Imka will be instrumental in shaping the institute’s visual identity and creating media that effectively communicates its values and technology. This includes producing photos, figures, and illustrations for grants, designing printed materials for the physical space on campus, and creating graphics for presentations, brochures, and posters.
Before coming to HFI, Imka worked as a medical illustrator specializing in neuromodulation at Cleveland Functional Electrical Stimulation Center. She enjoyed contributing her design skills in a research environment and is eager to do the same at HFI.
“I’m excited to learn about the research directly from the people doing it and about the opportunity to showcase their work creatively,” said Imka. “I am very drawn to the team HFI has been building. I like their dedication to their projects and how they work together.”
