2007 - Chemical & Biomedical Engineering - University of South ...

Announcing our Name Change
Dr. Babu Joseph,
Chair, Department of Chemical &
Biomedical Engineering
The most significant event in 2007 for us was the change in the name of the department. In November of 2007,
College of Engineering Dean John Wiencek announced the renaming of the Chemical Engineering Department to
Chemical and Biomedical Engineering. This change has many profound implications in terms of our future. The
name change was an acknowledgment of the teaching and research activities being done by the faculty in both
areas. The name change also implies a commitment by the university to support biomedical engineering teaching
and research.
The Chemical Engineering Department has been leading the College’s new thrust towards emphasis on biomedical
engineering related research and education over the last decade. It started with the establishment of a graduate
program in Biomedical Engineering in 1998. The first student with a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering
graduated in 1999. The department established a Ph.D. program in biomedical engineering in 2004 and the first
students were admitted into the program. The department graduated the first three students with a Ph.D. in
Biomedical Engineering in 2007. At the undergraduate level, a Minor in Biomedical Engineering was established in
2004 and the first students were enrolled that year. In addition to these, the department also offers a Graduate
Certificate in Biomedical Engineering.
Currently, there are a total of 27 undergraduate and 44 graduate students enrolled in various biomedical programs
in the department. These include 30 students enrolled in the MBE (Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering)
and 14 students enrolled in the Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering Programs.
Dr. William Lee, III, Professor of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering has served as Director of the Program since its
inception. Dr. Lee played a key role in the growth of the biomedical engineering research and education at USF,
often bringing together faculty from various departments in establishing new course offerings and starting of
interdisciplinary research efforts. Biomedical engineering is one of the fastest growing disciplines in the United
States with many of the leading universities starting new departments and offering new degrees in the field.
Currently there are more than 150 universities in the US offering degrees in biomedical engineering.
With this name change, USF joins the trend set at chemical engineering departments across the country that have
added a bio- prefix to their name reflecting the changing nature of chemical engineering profession.
Other Major News:
We welcome our newest faculty member, Dr. John Wiencek who recently came to USF to take over as Dean of
Engineering. Dr. Wiencek was Chair of the Department of Chemical and Bioengineering at University of Iowa prior
to joining USF.
We went through our 6-year accreditation visit during 2007. The faculty did an outstanding job of preparing for the
visit. Although the official decision on the renewal of our accreditation will not be announced till Spring 2008, the
preliminary reports indicate that we met or exceeded the expectations in every category.
Dr. Yogi Goswami is the 2007 winner of the Frank Keith Energy award for his continuing excellence in renewable
energy research. He also received the 2007 Hoyt Hottel Award.
During 2007 we also saw the retirement of Dr. Carlos Smith and Dr. Anthony Llewellyn and the resignation of Dr.
Frances Moussy who left to accept a position at Brunel University in UK. Dr.’s Smith and Llewellyn both continue to
be active as Emeritus Professors.
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