WSU women in STEAM feature: Tammy Dorsey

To honor Women’s History Month, WSU Ventures and the Center for Entrepreneurship at Wichita State have collaborated to highlight influential WSU women who have made a difference in the areas of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Every week during the month of March, we will feature an inspirational Shocker for her contributions and accomplishments.

Tammy Dorsey graduated from Wichita State University with a biomedical engineering degree and is studying in the Master of Innovation Design program. Last year, Tammy and her team won the Shocker New Venture Competition with their business, Prenatal Hope.

Her design, VivO2, is a device that can detect fetal oxygen levels in utero and is going through the process to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

“I’m trying to make a direct impact to recover our nation as the most dangerous, most expensive place in the developed world to give birth,” says Tammy.

As a mother of five, Tammy recognized the need to address America’s high infant mortality rate. Her invention greatly reduces the risks associated with oxygen loss during childbirth.

So what advice would she give for futures engineers, scientists and inventors?

“Follow what interests you,” Tammy says. “Unless you’re liking what you do, it can become not only challenging, but not worth it. Don’t be afraid to change paths.”