Biomedical Engineering News
Welcome to the Spring/Summer 2014 edition of the Penn State Biomedical Engineering News.
Message from the Department Head
I’m happy to report that our department is poised for significant and strategic growth in the coming years. You may have noticed that our name has changed to the Department of Biomedical Engineering. The change, effective late last year, aligns our department name with our key strategic goals and research initiatives in direct comparison with programs in our peer set.
New Highlights of Research in Biomedical Engineering
Heart Lab Research
Dr. Keefe Manning's research group focuses on understanding the fluid mechanics of the cardiovascular system in native and diseased states. In addition, Dr. Manning has an interest in the impact of cardiovascular prosthetic devices. Currently, his lab is focusing on three main projects: investigating the impact of HeartMate II on a three-dimensional flow field, developing a pediatric ventricular assist device, and analyzing thrombi growth.
Biomolecular and Biomimetic Materials Research
The research in Dr. Yong Wang's group focuses on creating programmable biomaterials for the purposes of controlled drug delivery, sensitive clinical diagnostics, and enhanced tissue regeneration. Current work in his lab is highlighted in three main projects: the creation of programmable hydrogels for protein drug delivery, the construction of a scaffold for the capture and controlled release of target cells, and the development of an artificial extracellular matrix for cell adhesion.
Department News
2015 Marks 10-Year Anniversary of First Undergraduate Class
It's hard to believe it will be 10 years since our first undergraduate class graduated, a proud moment for all of us. In the beginning, as with any new adventure, it took us a while to get our feet wet, but we had the perfect group of students to work with. They were only 20 in number, but very impressive.
Biomedical Engineering Faculty Receive Significant Grants
In the current world of dried up money pots and hard to receive grants, two of the biomedical engineering department's newest faculty members have received several grants.
Penn State Biomedical Engineering Faculty Organize Biophysical Society Regional Meeting
The third Pennsylvania Regional Biophysical Society Networking Meeting was hosted by Penn State University on Oct. 4, 2013. This regional prelude to the Biophysical Society Annual Meeting provided an opportunity for Penn State students to interact and network with professors, postdocs, and other students from prominent universities across the northeast.
2013 BMES Annual Meeting
The annual Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) meeting was held on Sep. 25-28, 2013 at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, WA. The meeting included scientific sessions, posters, career and professional development sessions, exhibits for graduate schools and BME company representatives.
Penn State BMES Student Chapter Attempts to Grow
The biomedical engineering major at Penn State is becoming more and more popular as the number of prospective students has doubled over the past few years. As a result, the Biomedical Engineering Society attended the Penn State Club Involvement Fair on Jan. 13 in order to recruit new students to join the club.
2014 IPAC Meeting
This past March, the College of Engineering conducted its annual Industrial and Professional Advisory Council (IPAC) meeting. IPAC is a select group of representatives from industry, government agencies, academia, and professionals who advise the College of Engineering on academic issues, current trends, and future directions in engineering. IPAC is a forum where ideas are exchanged and recommendations are made. (Article includes interviews with IPAC Committee members by students.)
To Co-Op or Not to Co-Op, That is the Question
Co-ops are a great way to gain real-world work experience while working towards a degree. Typically students will work for at least one semester before returning to school, though they can sometimes opt to do multiple rotations. Co-ops are much longer than summer internships and are an excellent learning opportunity.
Department Loses Long Valued Member
This past October, Bioengineering lost one of its original department members, Rita Kline. She passed away after a long illness. Rita was with the department for about 27 years and with Penn State for well over 30 years.
Student News
Penn State BMES Student Chapter Joins THON
Most students and organizations at Penn State are involved in the Dance Marathon raising money in the fight against pediatric cancer. However despite THON's long history, the PSU Biomedical Engineering Society student chapter wasn't involved in the effort until last year.
Penn State BMES Student Chapter Promotes STEM Education in Community
This past fall, members of the Biomedical Engineering Society at Penn State had the opportunity to reach out to area elementary, middle, and high school students by participating in the Exploration-U Bellefonte Family Science Night.
Graduate Student Social Events
In an effort to create a more cohesive environment among the bioengineering graduate students, events have been organized by the students to interact outside of the labs and classes.
Penn State Bioengineers Promote Women in Engineering through Outreach Activities
In the past year, Penn State bioengineers have participated in several outreach activities to promote careers in science and engineering to young girls in local areas. We wanted to stimulate their interest in science and engineering, and broaden their knowledge in our field where the diversity is limited. Through both short educational lectures and hands-on activities, the girls in grades 6-8 had great opportunities to learn about Biomedical Engineering and other sciences.