| Outcome/accomplishment:
As a direct result of the existence of the NSF-funded Engineering Research
Center (ERC) for Revolutionizing Metallic Biomaterials (RMB) on campus,
with its strong impact on research and curriculum offerings in biomaterials
and bioengineering, North Carolina A&T State University (NCAT) established
BS and MS degree programs in Bioengineering in June 2010. Headquartered
at NCAT, with its partner institution at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt),
the Center will submit a PhD proposal in the near future.
Impact/benefits:
The program makes NCAT the first standalone historically black college
and university (HBCU) to offer formal degrees in bioengineering.
The first MS students entered the program in August 2010, and the BS program
started in January 2011. The programs have attracted strong participation
by females and other student demographic groups underrepresented in the
sciences and engineering.
Explanation/ background:
The Center’s research partners at Pitt and industrial partners will provide
clinical rotation and industry internships to NCAT to develop the next-generation
workforce in the bioengineering and related sectors, as envisaged by the
ERC’s education and outreach plan. The students will participate
in global research and education experiences through the Center’s partners
Hannover Medical School (MHH) in Germany and the Indian Institute of Technology
Madras (IITM) in India.
The programs are housed in
NCAT’s Department of Chemical and Bioengineering. The Department
has hired four bioengineering faculty members and is recruiting a fifth
member to support collaborative research between NCAT’s Bioengineering
and Biology Departments and the NSF ERC. The University of Pittsburgh,
a partner of the Center, provided strong technical and clinical support
for development of the curriculum and lab through mutual faculty, staff,
and student visits. NCAT, Pitt, and the University of Cincinnati
(also a partner) have developed a successful model of live video graduate
course offerings, and seminars on creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship,
and the regulatory process are also being offered on a trans-ERC basis. |
