University to offer two new degrees

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

The University of Kansas School of Engineering will offer two new graduate degrees in bioengineering next semester, contributing to the rapid growth of biosciences in Kansas and the nation.

The two new degrees will be a masters and doctoral of sciences in bioengineering.

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We’ve definitely had a lot of interest in it. It seems to be an up-and-coming popular degree.

-Nickie Lee, graduate recruiter for engineering

Stuart Bell, dean of engineering, said that bioengineering, the application of mechanical processes to the human body, was one of the fastest growing fields of engineering.

He said that the growth in the life sciences industry in Kansas, fueled in part by millions of dollars in state investment in universities and start-up companies, was one of the reasons for starting the new degree programs.

“Our overriding goal is to match up our programs with this regional emphasis as well as our national emphasis in bioengineering,” Bell said.

Glen Marotz, interim director of bioengineering, said bioengineers were in a people-serving profession. He said the work of bioengineers could include improving drug delivery and manufacturing methods to developing better prostheses and wheelchairs.

Marotz said the program was the only such graduate program in Kansas, and that it combined faculty researchers and instructors from the various engineering fields, such as mechanical and chemical, and medical fields like pharmacy and biochemistry. He said the school had been recruiting faculty for the program for the last four or five years. The school has also been renovating space in Learned Hall for a new Bioengineering Research Center.

“We’re preparing to see pretty big growth in this area,” Marotz said.

Nickie Lee, graduate recruiter for engineering, said that 10 graduate students were currently committed to KU bioengineering for the fall, which she said was good for the first crop of students. She said many students interested in the program were engineers who had an interest in medicine, but not patient care.

“We’ve definitely had a lot of interest in it,” Lee said. “It seems to be an up-and-coming popular degree.”

Kansan staff writer Nathan Gill can be contacted at ngill@kansan.com.

— Edited by Ryan Schneider

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