{"id":97564,"date":"2026-03-12T04:00:46","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T08:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/?p=97564"},"modified":"2026-03-13T08:57:30","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T12:57:30","slug":"graduate-student-finds-passion-for-organ-donation-at-utoledo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/03_12_2026\/graduate-student-finds-passion-for-organ-donation-at-utoledo","title":{"rendered":"Graduate Student Finds Passion for Organ Donation at UToledo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Emma Bonnell discovered transplantation and donation sciences at a graduate school fair and hasn\u2019t looked back.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe curriculum, hands-on opportunities and the program\u2019s strong connections within the donation and transplantation community all made it clear that this was the right path for me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"Emma

Emma Bonnell, right, works with Julie DeSantis, director of the Transplantation and Donation Sciences program. Bonnell enrolled in that master\u2019s program last fall and is on track to graduate this summer.<\/p><\/div>\n

Emma Bonnell graduated from Defiance College in spring 2025 with a bachelor of science degree in molecular biology. She joined The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences<\/a> and its Transplantation and Donation Sciences program the following fall to earn a master of science in biomedical science degree.<\/p>\n

UToledo’s Transplantation and Donation Sciences program is the first and only academic program in the country to prepare students to coordinate and oversee organ donation and transplantation, preparing them to become an organ and tissue donation transplant coordinator.<\/p>\n

Students enrolled in the Transplantation and Donation Sciences program receive a multidisciplinary education that includes basic science and medical courses alongside classes that touch on the legal, ethical, sociocultural and behavioral dimensions associated with death, organ and tissue donation and transplantation. They also complete two paid internships before graduating with a master of science in biomedical science degree.<\/p>\n

Bonnell describes her experience in the program as exceptional.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had the opportunity to build meaningful connections across the field through guest speakers, travel experiences, and targeted coursework,\u201d she said. \u201cEach class and interaction has helped me develop a stronger, more detailed understanding of the donation and transplantation process, and I feel increasingly confident in the direction of my future career.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bonnell said she finds the personal connection to donor families and recipients to be the most impactful and that these personal relationships confirmed that she is pursuing the right career path.<\/p>\n

\u201cListening to their stories and seeing the profound, real-world impact of donation has been incredibly moving,\u201d Bonnell said. \u201cIt showed me that I will truly have the opportunity to make a difference and help create something positive out of someone\u2019s tragedy.\u201d<\/p>\n

During her time as a Rocket, she has found countless ways to get involved. She recently joined the Advanced Leadership Academy<\/a>, a leadership program organized by the John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation that\u2019s designed to provide graduate students with opportunities for professional development and career preparation.<\/p>\n

She also volunteered at the Hero Hustle 5K, an event hosted by Life Connection of Ohio, where 1,300 participants \u2014 including donor families and organ recipients \u2014 promote, support and celebrate organ, eye and tissue donation.<\/p>\n

\"Portrait

Emma Bonnell is expected to graduate this summer and said she looks forward to exploring roles as an organ recovery coordinator within an organ procurement organization.<\/p><\/div>\n

As a part of her program, she completed clinical rounds in the surgical inpatient care unit to observe the daily flow of an ICU and understand real-time collaboration between healthcare professionals. This experience prepares students for their internships and future full-time placement.<\/p>\n

Students in the program complete two five-week internships during the summer. With the program\u2019s strong network, internships and experiential learning, it has a near-perfect job placement rate. Bonnell has not been placed in an internship; however, she is eager to showcase her skills and prepare for a full-time role.<\/p>\n

Julie DeSantis, director of the Transplantation and Donation Sciences program and an assistant professor, said that Bonnell has been an inspiring, dedicated student.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe fully participates in class discussions, asks invigorating questions and will prove to be a tremendous asset to the transplantation and donation field,\u201d she said. \u201cEmma leads by example in her core courses and exemplifies the program’s standard of greatness. Additionally, she goes above and beyond by mentoring her fellow classmates and volunteering in the local donation community, supporting our invaluable mission in her personal time. We look forward to watching her put her program experience into action by making an invaluable contribution to donors, recipients and families in her future mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bonnell found the community at UToledo to be supportive and made connections across campus through classmates, faculty and staff.<\/p>\n

\u201cI appreciate how welcoming and inclusive the environment is,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd how easy it has been to build relationships with people who share similar goals and interests.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bonnell is expected to graduate this summer and said she looks forward to exploring roles as an organ recovery coordinator within an organ procurement organization.<\/p>\n

Her advice to future Rockets in this program? Be open-minded and curious.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis program offers a unique combination of academic knowledge, hands-on experiences and professional networking opportunities,\u201d she said. \u201cGetting the most out of it means actively engaging in all aspects of the curriculum.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last fall, Emma Bonnell enrolled in the Transplantation and Donation Sciences master\u2019s program, the first and only academic program in the country to prepare students to coordinate and oversee organ donation and transplantation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":925,"featured_media":97569,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[50,38,1,71,7],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97564"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/925"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97564"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97564\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97573,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97564\/revisions\/97573"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97569"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97564"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97564"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97564"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}