As a fifth-year biomedical engineering student at the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS), Amelia Wares has been a trailblazer in nearly every area imaginable—and this is only the beginning of her journey.
As co-president of Women in Entrepreneurship (WIE) and founder of TissuTrak, Wares has received many scholarships and awards such as the CEAS Tribunal Pre-Junior of the Year. She most recently received the College of Engineering and Applied Science Alumni Board Endowed Scholarship where she was able to secure $6,000 in funding for her venture, TissuTrak, a health app for patients.
During her first year at UC, Wares suffered from symptoms of undiagnosed medical conditions that made it difficult to live her daily life. In attempts to aid her doctors in correctly diagnosing her, she began filling journals that detailed nearly every aspect of her daily experiences. These journals are ultimately what led to her diagnosis and inspired her to develop TissuTrak.
Wares describes TissuTrak as "a digital health platform that helps patients track symptoms, medications and daily habits in a structured way to identify patterns and better understand their health."
She wanted to create TissuTrak so that others like her who suffered from connective tissue disorders were able to have their disorders diagnosed in less time, resulting in better care. After she graduates, Wares hopes to concentrate on TissuTrak full time.
Scholarships made it possible
Wares says she was first drawn to UC by the nationally ranked co-op program available to students. During her time on campus, Wares has had multiple co-ops and internships. Thanks to her scholarship funding, she was able to focus on TissuTrak as an unpaid co-op. She says this is the most impactful aspect of the scholarship support she has received—the ability to focus on her startup free of financial stress.
Wares is incredibly grateful to the donors and the generosity of those who made her scholarships possible. "The contribution of my donors is not just supporting a degree. It is supporting leadership, innovation and the confidence to take initiative. I carry that with me in everything I do," Wares says. "I hope to pay this forward one day by creating opportunities for others in the same way."
Empowering her fellow students
One of Wares’ many passions is the work that she does as co-president of WIE, a UC club that empowers female students to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.
Wares says that when she became the student representative for WIE in 2024, it was dormant because the founders graduated. Wares worked with the remaining club members to assist with programming, outreach and making entrepreneurial experiences more accessible for UC students.
By 2025, in less than a year as co-president of WIE, active membership of the club had doubled. Members also launched a freelance web design company, allowing them to gain hands-on entrepreneurial experience as they work with small businesses to provide their marketing and design services. This experience gives club members tangible skills that they can transfer to future occupational ventures. Wares now works with the club to help promote entrepreneurial opportunities to the College of Engineering and Applied Science.
In the future, Wares plans to focus solely on TissuTrak and continue advocating for those with chronic diseases. Her goal is to "scale solutions to improve how chronic disease is understood and managed." Wares says that regardless of what she does or where she goes next, she will continue to grow TissuTrak in some capacity.
Featured image at top: Amelia Wares. Photo/UC Alumni Association.