06/25/2026
“Completing my degree in just three years has been both challenging and incredibly rewarding,” 2026 Biomedical Engineering, Honors College and Summa Cum Laude graduate Teresa Steffens said. “Throughout this journey, I’ve grown so much personally and professionally, gaining resilience, confidence and a deeper belief in myself.”
Raised in Trafford, Pa. and a graduate of Penn-Trafford School District, Teresa has long been reaching for bigger goals.
Her Duquesne experience was defined by service to others, working to create a community for all on campus and conducting and collaborating on research projects.
Among her many honors, Teresa earned the Duquesne University School of Science and Engineering's prestigious Certificate for Outstanding 4.0 GPA Achievement and was a winner of the 2026 Spirit of Community Building award by The Center, Duquesne University.
“Serving as president of the Asian Student Association (ASA) has allowed me to pursue my passion for community engagement and inclusion within a space that is meaningful to me. Coming to Duquesne as an adopted child with little connection to my Asian heritage, ASA provided a space where I could learn, grow and feel a sense of belonging,” she said.
ASA under her leadership was awarded “Best Collaborative Program of the Year” alongside the Filipino American Student Association at the 2026 student organization awards. Their Night Market event engaged seven other student organizations to foster a broader sense of community on campus.
Teresa also served in leadership roles with the Society of Women Engineers - SWE, Biomedical Engineering Society - BMES and was an active member of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul - Council of Pittsburgh.
One of her favorite memories was taking part in Duquesne University Spiritan Campus Ministry’s Spiritan Mission Experience to Houston. The students worked with the St. Benedict the Abbott Catholic Community in South Houston, where they volunteered at two food distribution centers, the Vietnamese American Community Center and Mamie George Community Center. They also got to take in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
Conducting research alongside faculty and her fellow students was important to help prepare her for a career in the medical device industry. Specifically, Teresa and several students designed and build a prototype assistive device, ConfiDose, which is an accessible syringe system for nonvisual liquid medication measurement. She presented the research behind the device at the Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium.
“Overall, I am grateful I was in an environment that allowed me to strive and achieve beyond what I thought was possible.”
