Konna Zoga is a Chemical Engineering alumna from the University of Iowa. She is currently working as a Development Engineer at Field Medical. Learn more about Konna and how she has utilized her ChemE degree throughout her career!

Graduating Class: 2024

How did you choose the University of Iowa?

Students from the department where I completed my undergraduate studies (scheme. University of Patras) had previously joined the grad program of CBE.

Describe your career path and the work you are currently doing.

I’ve always been fascinated by the diverse applications of chemical engineering in solving real-world problems. My journey began with research on olive-mill wastewater treatment during my undergraduate studies at the University of Patras in Greece. Later, as a research intern at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, I focused on urban wastewater treatment. For my PhD at the University of Iowa, I shifted my focus to the intersection of medicine and engineering, joining the Nuxoll group to work on thermal treatments for bacterial infections on medical implants. My project advanced the group’s research from in vitro studies to in vivo animal models, bridging the gap toward clinically relevant applications. While at Iowa, I also participated in the Iowa Innovation Leadership Fellows program, which introduced me to entrepreneurship and innovation in the med-tech industry. It was through this program that I first learned about Field Medical and their pioneering work on treatments for cardiac arrhythmias. After graduating, I joined Field Medical as a Development Engineer. In this role, I’m involved in designing and evaluating a pulsed field ablation system targeting cardiac arrhythmias, specifically ventricular tachycardia. Working in a startup has allowed me to take on diverse responsibilities, including research, bench testing, preclinical and clinical studies, as well as contributing to the design and regulatory processes for developing a medical device.

How did the CBE Department prepare you for your career?

My time at CBE during my PhD was a turning point in preparing me for my current role. With a traditional chemical engineering background, I was trained to evaluate and understand every task as a process. Building on this foundation, my research gave me hands-on experience in designing experiments, analyzing data, and translating results from in vitro to in vivo applications. One piece of advice from my advisor, Dr. Nuxoll, that I still carry with me is: ‘Take a step back—what do you want to learn from this?’ It’s shaped how I approach problem-solving and big-picture thinking. Balancing multiple roles as a student, teaching assistant, and researcher also helped me become better at multitasking and managing priorities. Working on multidisciplinary projects and collaborating with researchers, graduate, and undergraduate students taught me the importance of teamwork and valuing diverse perspectives. What stood out most was how the department encouraged us to engage outside the lab—whether it was joining DEI committees, helping with social media or website projects, or organizing social events. These experiences helped me grow as a communicator, a leader, and a teammate—skills I rely on every day in my fast-paced role at a startup. It’s incredibly rewarding to see how the skills I developed at CBE—and continue to refine—contribute to improving patient care and advancing medical technology.

What advice would you want to share with current or future ChemE students?

My biggest advice is to stay open-minded. Explore different fields, classes, and opportunities—you never know what might end up being useful down the line. Something that seems unrelated to your path now could become a key part of it later. Also, take advantage of the strong sense of community at CBE and the University of Iowa. It’s such a supportive environment, and being part of it can really enrich your experience. For PhD students, especially, my advice is to hold onto your support system, whatever that may look like for you. Doing a PhD is tough—it pushes you in ways you don’t expect—but having people to lean on makes it so much easier to get through. And trust me, all the hard work is worth it in the end.