In the lifespan of legacy research universities, 53 years is barely old enough to read. Twelve years might as well be an eye-blink. Yet, George Mason University has always proved itself a prodigy. The bioengineering department is no exception.
It’s not uncommon for colleges to offer special speaker series as a perk to students with special interests and networking aspirations. What is uncommon, however, is a relatively young department attracting directors, chairs, and department heads from premier institutions including Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Boston University, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and the Vellore Institute of Technology in India—to name only a few.
But bioengineering is altogether different. Bringing other schools’ department heads to Fairfax, Virginia, to share their expertise is not just a student perk; it’s a golden opportunity to partner with preeminent leaders in more established programs and show that George Mason is on the leading edge.
The seminar series, which happens every Thursday in Horizon Hall room 3014 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., has proven to be an excellent collaboration for all involved.
Mark Anastasio, head of the department of bioengineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, was impressed when he came to speak last November. “The quality of the undergraduate instructional labs was remarkable and exceeds what I have seen at many other institutions,” he said. “It was very clear that your students receive well-balanced and rigorous training in bioengineering.”
Also, he added, “It was fun to see the robots all over campus!”
Anastasio said that he could see future collaborations with George Mason bioengineering. “I believe that opportunities exist related to imaging research collaborations, since our departments have similar interests in this area but complementary strengths.”
Research relationships like this point to even brighter horizons for bioengineering and the students who take advantage of all the opportunities on offer.