A New Decade Begins

On September 30th, the man who led Purdue through a phenomenal period of growth, and oversaw the phenomenal decade of achievements in Purdue's Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, will be honored at the formal renaming of the home of the Weldon School as the Martin C. Jischke Hall of Biomedical Engineering.

This decade of accomplishments built on the foundation of inventive successes of Professor Geddes and the pioneers of biomedical engineering at Purdue. Now, a new decade of achievement is already underway that will build upon the recently-completed decade we celebrate.  Faculty recruitment continues, as does the selection of the best and brightest students from around the world. New industry and academic partnerships are being developed, as well as new innovative international partnerships.

One of the promising highlights in the decade to come will be our new partnership in graduate biomedical engineering education with the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez (UPRM), the premier engineering institution in the Caribbean.  The partnership facilitates UPRM undergraduates to undertake graduate studies in biomedical engineering at Purdue, encourages collaborative research between faculty members at the two institutions through strategic grants, and aids in the development over the next few years of a bioengineering graduate program at UPRM that will allow for enhanced curricular, student, and faculty exchanges.

In parallel, a biomedical engineering research partnership in nanomedicine was formed last year with the Korean Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) through significant funding from the Korean government.  This global partnership facilitates the reciprocal use of research facilities as well as seeds collaborative research in this emerging area of medical diagnostics and therapeutics through a dedicated postdoctoral fellowship program. 

Building on the traditions and successes of the past, the Weldon School is poised to reach new heights.  The impact will be felt worldwide, as we expand and enhance our educational and research programs while retaining the commitment to finding and developing practical solutions to the challenges of world-wide healthcare and improving the lives of people everywhere.