The Bioengineering Department at the College of Engineering and Computing is excited to welcome four new Bioengineering Alliance members to the department. These members will bring new energy, expertise, and vision to move the department forward.
Ketul Popat, who was appointed chair of the Bioengineering Department last year, brought these new Alliance members on board to help shape departmental curricula to keep it on the leading edge and to provide a connection between industry and academia that will guide the department’s strategic research plans. While these goals as written sound lofty, Alliance members’ contributions often result in real change that benefits established and incoming students alike.
Tara Ruttley is the chief scientist for Blue Origin’s Orbital Reef space station development following a long and distinguished career with NASA and the International Space Station.
Abhishek Rege is the cofounder, president, and director of Vasoptic Medical, Inc., where he leads efforts to develop noninvasive technologies that monitor blood flow dynamics in the body.
Arun Chowla is the medical director at NOVA Vein Clinic, leading minimally invasive vein surgeries.
Avinash Patwardhan is a retired OBGYN who also conducted research on the American health care system. He is currently an adjunct assistant professor at George Mason.
Outgoing Chair Irving Weinberg noted that this Alliance was an especially good team. “A fun part of working with the Alliance was that, when recommendations were made, people listened and implemented the ideas,” he said.
One of those ideas culminated in last summer’s launch of the BioE Buzz Summer Camp for high school students. The camp was a major success, allowing students who were curious about bioengineering to try hands-on experiments. This camp, the Alliance hopes, will become a new pipeline for students to discover this developing field.
As new leadership and members come on board, they express their appreciation for Weinberg’s service in guiding the Alliance over his three years. His guidance helped move the department forward and set it up for success today.