UMD BIOE by the Numbers

Over the past decade, bioengineering has remained one of the fastest-growing programs at the University of Maryland. In the past three years alone, the Fischell Department of Bioengineering's (BIOE) research expenditures have nearly doubled to ~$15 million, placing it among the Top 25 bioengineering/biomedical engineering programs in the country in total research funding dollars per faculty.

Earlier this month, assistant professors Gregg Duncan and Katharina Maisel were awarded grants by the American Lung Association, collectively totaling $125,000 each year for up to two years. Dr. Duncan was also named a member of the inaugural Langmuir Early Career Advisory Board in late September.

This summer, associate professor Steven Jay was named the recipient of a RoosterBio development grant aimed at facilitating investigators who work to accelerate the path to clinical translation for adult cell-based therapeutics.

Earlier this year, assistant professor Huang Chiao (Joe) Huang, in collaboration with Dr. Dana Roque of the University of Maryland School of Medicine,  received an Ovarian Cancer Research Grant from the Foundation for Women's Cancer. The grant will support research on nanotechnology-assisted, mechanism-based combination therapy for ovarian cancer peritoneal carcinomatosis. 

Our faculty and staff work in a broad array of research areas, including:

• Cancer & Immunology
• Machine Learning & Computational Modeling
• Mechanobiology & Biomechanics
• Medical Devices & Biofabrication
• Molecular & Cellular Therapeutics and Drug Delivery
• Optical Technologies & Biomedical Imaging
• Systems & Synthetic Biology
• Tissue Engineering & Biomaterials

» Learn more about our centers, institutes, and labs

The Fischell Department of Bioengineering (BIOE) ranks among the Top 20 bioengineering/biomedical engineering progams in total federal funding awarded per faculty member, boasting numerous grants from the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, among others.

This past year alone, BIOE was awarded two separate FDA grants totaling up to $10 million in support of medical device and regulatory initiatives.

This summer, the department also received two new NIH R01 faculty research grants, bringing our total number of active R01s to 10.

BIOE faculty also celebrated multiple National Science Foundation (NSF) research grants, and a recent $1 million U.S. Department of Defense research grant to support the development of portable medical sensors.

» Learn more about our research

The Fischell Department of Bioengineering places in the Top 10 bioengineering/biomedical engineering programs, nationally, in the total number of bachelor's degrees awarded.

What's more, our Spring 2019 class achieved a 96 percent placement rate — which means that 96 percent of our most recent graduates had secured either employment or placement in a graduate program by commencement.

Our 2019 Senior Capstone class presented 20 novel concepts during their design competition in May. Projects ranged from a system for rapid toxin removal to a brain-to-brain synchrony detector for improved psychotherapy. 

Our undergraduate curriculum is designed to emphasize strong fundamentals in both engineering and biology, to include experiential learning in the engineering practices, and to align with specific careers in bioengineering sub-fields.

In the first two years, students take engineering foundation courses in biology, chemistry, physics, and math. In the third and fourth years, the focus shifts to career-specific areas, including biotechnology, biomechanics, biomaterials, and biomedical instrumentation. Capstone I and II is a two-semester fall/spring sequence taken in the fourth year that provides an immersion experience in entrepreneurialism, innovation, and the engineering practice.

» Learn more about our undergraduate program

The Fischell Department of Bioengineering ranks in the Top 5 bioengineering/biomedical engineering programs nationally in the number of bachelor's degrees awarded to women.

Sixty percent of students in our incoming Class of 2022 are women — and nearly one-quarter of our freshmen identify with an underrepresented minority group.

Our students are vocal advocates for women in the sciences. Women serve as president or vice president of more than half of our undergraduate student organizations, including the University of Maryland Biomedical Engineering Society, Alpha Eta Mu Beta - the Bioengineering Honor Society, and the University of Maryland chapter of Engineering World Health. 

In 2019, BIOE senior Natalia Ochman was named the recipient of a Fulbright U.S. Student Program award to Poland. As founder of the Foundational Learning and Mentoring Experience (FLAME) — a student-organization-turned-nonprofit — Natalia has dedicated the better part of her four years of study to empowering women to pursue opportunities in STEM.

At the college level, Women in Engineering is dedicated to the recruitment of prospective female engineering students and the retention of current undergraduate and graduate female engineering students.

» Learn what it's like to be a UMD bioengineering student

The University of Maryland is continuously recognized as a top destination for bioengineering study, research, collaboration, and entrepreneurialism.

Collaborations

• Funded research programs and innovative partnerships with the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the National Children's Health System, the Department of Defense, and the University of Maryland Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy make the Fischell Department of Bioengineering a uniquely exciting place to study.
• The Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices, housed within BIOE, fuels innovation by immersing creative and energetic scientists and engineers in a nurturing and rewarding research environment where engineered health systems are conceived of and investigated.
• The Fischell Department of Bioengineering is the leader of a newly established National Institutes of Health-funded Biomedical Technology Resource Center aimed at advancing techniques to create complex tissues and parts for the body, such as organs and bone. This $6.25 million Center for Engineering Complex Tissues is a partnership with Rice University and the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
• Students and faculty alike pursue groundbreaking research through collaborations such as the UMD-National Cancer Institute Partnership for Integrative Cancer Research, the UMD-National Children's Health System National Capital Consortium for Pediatric Device Innovation, and the University of Maryland Center of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation.
• BIOE is also a key partner in a newly established institute to advance U.S. leadership in pharmaceutical manufacturing. The National Institute for Innovation of Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals includes the University of Maryland, College Park and the University of Maryland, Baltimore, along with more than 150 companies, educational institutions, nonprofits, and state governments operating under a newly formed nonprofit. 

Graduate Program

• Our current graduate students have raised more than $1 million in research funding support. The average GPA for admitted graduate students in 2018-2019 was 3.52, and nearly 40 percent of our newly enrolled Ph.D. students are women.
• The M.D./M.S. and M.D./Ph.D. dual-degree options offered in partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine are structured to allow students to earn both an M.D. and M.S. in five years, or both an M.D. and Ph.D. in eight years.
• In the past few months alone, four BIOE Ph.D. students were named recipients of the Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F31) by the National Institutes of Health. Together, their NIH F31 fellowships could total up to $235,000 in funding over two years to support research in vaccine design, sprayable surgical sealants, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and new therapies to treat multiple sclerosis.
• Earlier this year, three graduate students — and one undergraduate student — were named recipients of the prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program award, supporting research on rapid disease diagnosis techniques, multiple sclerosis, immunology, and molecular dynamics.
• With support from funds provided by the MPowering the State initiative, our Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices offers a fellowship to support graduating students in transitioning their medical device projects into business ideas. Fellow recipients take part in the Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in bioengineering program, and receive access to dedicated lab space and material support for prototype development. 

Location

• The University of Maryland, College Park is conveniently located a few miles from Washington, D.C. In addition to the federal government, many large, high-tech companies are headquartered in the D.C. metropolitan area, and all employ a vast number of engineers and scientists. 
• Thanks to a strategic partnership with the University of Maryland, Baltimore and the University of Maryland Medical Center, our bioengineering students can see what it's like to work in a clinical environment and explore opportunities to engineer solutions that can improve health care delivery and patient outcomes.
• Our 184,000 ft² home, A. James Clark Hall, features 100,000 ft² of instructional and research space, and a vivarium. In addition to our faculty research labs, Clark Hall houses our new BioWorkshop core facility, which features nearly $4 million in lab equipment available for 24/7 use. 
• In 2020, the University of Maryland will open an 8,000 ft2 space in Crystal City (Arlington), Virginia to foster innovation and collaboration among UMD students and faculty, Crystal City residents and businesses, and alumni in the area. Dubbed UMD's Discovery Center, this new space will bring unique opportunities and expertise to Northern Virginia. Along with the A. James Clark School of Engineering, UMD's College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, College of Information Studies, and Robert H. Smith School of Business will host symposia, lectures, and learning events in the new center.
• In 2019, Baltimore was ranked #5 on Forbes' list of top rising cities for startups, and #2 in a SmartAsset study of the best cities for women in tech.
• Also this year, TechCrunch named the University of Maryland among the top 10 public research universities to have graduated the most founders of startups that raised $1 million+ in the past year.
• Kiplinger rated the University of Maryland the 10th best value college in the nation for in-state students seeking a public university education, and the 16th best value college in the nation for out-of-state students seeking a public university education.

Research

• With more than two dozen affiliated institutes, centers, and labs, the Fischell Department of Bioengineering is at the forefront of human health innovation. Our faculty are experts in research areas ranging from bio-imaging and cell biophysics, to tissue engineering and cancer research.
• Our faculty are a highly motivated group, with eight National Science Foundation CAREER Award winners in the past 12 years. 
• Earlier this year, BIOE associate professor and associate chair Chris Jewell was named a recipient of the U.S. Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honored bestowed by the U.S. government to outstanding scientists and engineers who are beginning their independent research careers. 
• In recent months, faculty were awarded grants by the American Lung Association, the Foundation for Women's Cancer, the U.S. Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation,  and the National Institutes of Health, among others.

Undergraduate Program

• Earlier this fall, we welcomed 131 students as the Class of 2022. Sixty percent of the incoming students are women, and nearly one-quarter of their class identifies with an underrepresented minority group.
• In 2019, the graduating class achieved a 96 percent placement rate, which means that 96 percent of seniors were placed in either a job or with a graduate school as of graduation day.
• Nearly three-quarters of the Class of 2019 fulfilled an external internship during their undergraduate careers.
• Our undergraduates have the option to specialize in one of three tracks designed to help them focus their academic interests: Biotechnology and Therapeutics Engineering, Biomechanics and Biomaterials, and Biomedical Instrumentation. Alternatively, students can choose to maintain greater flexibility in Bioengineering Studies, or tailor their electives to fulfill Pre-Health requirements.
• Undergraduates are also given the option to pursue a combined B.S./M.S. dual-degree.
• In the spring of 2019, 96 BIOE undergraduates pitched a total of 20 novel concepts as part of their Senior Capstone Design Competition. Featured projects included a knee extension monitoring device for children with cerebral palsy and a high-flux hemofiltration system for rapid toxin removal.
• In the spring of 2019, graduating senior Eric Wang was awarded a Churchill Scholarship and the University of Maryland's University Medal, which recognizes the most outstanding graduate of the year. In 2018, he was named a Goldwater Scholar by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program.
• Also in the spring of 2019, graduating senior Natalia Ochman was named the recipient of a Fulbright U.S. Student Program award to Poland in chemistry and biology. As a freshman, Natalia founded the Foundational Learning and Mentoring Experience (FLAME) to engage students in mentoring roles with more than 100 elementary and middle school students at Title I schools. Established as a student organization, FLAME is now a nonprofit that earned first place in the 2019 University of Maryland Do Good Challenge.

In 2019, the Fischell Department of Bioengineering unveiled its five-year strategic plan, built on input from department faculty, staff, students, and advisory board members. In line with its five-year goals, the department is on pace to do the following:

• Grow to 27 tenure-track faculty members by 2023. Currently, the department is inviting applications for multiple open-rank tenure-track faculty positions.
• Welcome 25 new Ph.D. students each year, with a six-year Ph.D. graduation rate of 80 percent or higher.
• Benefit from access to new resources, equipment, and expertise with the recent opening of the six-floor Brendan Iribe Center for Computer Science and Engineering and the groundbreaking of the E.A. Fernandez IDEA Factory — both of which are located just across from BIOE's home, A. James Clark Hall.