Letter from the Department

On behalf of the Fischell Department of Bioengineering, we are honored to join you in kicking off the start of the 2021-2022 academic year – our 15th anniversary year!

This Fall, we are proud to welcome  24 new graduate students to our department, including a few familiar faces – you'll find a link to their introductory bios below. We are also counting down to our annual department retreat, our first seminar of the year, our monthly coffee hours, and countless other departmental happenings.

The past year and a half presented challenges unlike any we have experienced. BIOE faculty, students, staff, alumni, and advisory board members proved that the strength of our community transcends our physical space. In addition to dedicating countless research and volunteer hours to COVID-19 response, our community pressed on to ensure that critical work spanning myriad human health needs continued uninterrupted. 

Last year, our graduate students earned a record number of fellowship grant application acceptances – 85% of students who applied for a financial award were successful! This year, our incoming Ph.D. class tied the record for our largest ever. And, this month we welcomed our first-ever biocomputational engineering undergraduates to the Universities at Shady Grove campus.

Members of our community have courageously voiced their thoughts, concerns, and hopes for the future of our BIOE community – at department town halls, in student-led meetings, and in our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee meetings chaired by Dr. Alisa Clyne.

Like you, we are eager to feel a return to normal. We will undoubtedly encounter challenges in the weeks and months ahead – including those that may be personal or unseen by our friends and colleagues. Please don’t hesitate to lean on your BIOE community. Communicate with your teachers and advisors when you need help. Connect with BGSS, Engineering Career Services, and our LinkedIn community for career guidance and advice. Bookmark our DEI page and be sure to reference our list of resources or submit questions/concerns to the DEI committee via the feedback form – you can even do so anonymously. (And, email Dr. Clyne if you wish to join the committee!) 

Most of all, know that we are both grateful and thrilled to have this opportunity to welcome you to Clark Hall and to our community. We are excited for you to experience firsthand what makes the Fischell Department of Bioengineering truly unique, and we look forward to celebrating the many milestone achievements to come this year and beyond.

Best regards,