With the Spring 2022 graduation season coming to a close, the Nino Research Group bids farewell to a four-year member.

Graduating summa cum laude with a degree in biomedical engineering, Parker Kotlarz was selected to be a student commencement speaker at the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering graduation ceremony Sunday. 

“Be a leader, not a follower.”

Parker passed along this piece of advice to his fellow graduates, advice he first learned from his mom. During their undergraduate years, he said, they have followed some of the best mentors equipping them to become the next generation of great leaders.  

His words to his fellow engineers and a string of accolades follow Parker as a lasting legacy of his successes and time at UF.

Parker was selected as a University of Florida Outstanding Scholar for his research and academic achievements. He was also awarded the Outstanding Gator Engineering Four-Year Scholar, an honor presented by the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. Additionally, he received the Attributes of a Gator Engineer Award for Professional Excellence. 

His experiences during his undergraduate career have paved a way for his engineering future. Parker will begin his career at the MGH/HST Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, a research center based in Massachusetts. He will work on novel neuroimaging research in the Auditory Cognition Lab and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Lab. 

In future years, Parker will be applying to medical school in order to become a physician innovator. He hopes to create neurosurgical devices and techniques.