Dr. Manu Platt understands why people sometimes wait to advocate for causes they find important. They postpone those efforts while chasing educational goals, work goals, and life in general.
And often times, it is easier and safer to not get involved in an issue that could be controversial or resisted.
However, during his Diversity Award Lecture at the 2017 BMES Annual Meeting, Platt asked, "Why wait for everything to be safe? Why wait to start having an impact?"
Platt described his journey from growing up with five brothers in a military family that made several moves, to being an associate professor at Georgia Tech and Emory.
And along the way he dedicated himself to creating opportunities for all people, especially those who are underrepresented in the STEM fields
While much work remains, Platt said BMES and its members can play a key role expanding opportunities.
"We are the Society that can make these changes," he said.
More than 4,200 attendees gathered in Phoenix this month for the 2017 Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting, the most ever for the 27 year old meeting.
If you weren't able to make it to Phoenix for the 2017 BMES Annual Meeting, checkout the daily newsletter to catch up on all the happenings. 
