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Biomedical
Engineering
Biomedical
Engineering
is a field of engineering distinguished by a basic understanding
of biological and medical science. The health care industry
is growing steadily and the concern for human health and welfare
is greater each year. As a consequence, the need for trained
professionals in the basic principles and applications of mathematics,
physics, chemistry and the life sciences has become substantive
and necessary. Biomedical engineering provides a challenging,
stimulating, and diverse field of professional endeavor.
Biomedical
Engineering at Louisiana Tech University
The Biomedical Engineering Program at
Louisiana Tech University was established in 1972. Its first chair,
Dr. Daniel D. Reneau, is now the President of the University.
As the seventh ABET-accredited undergraduate biomedical engineering
program in the country (in 1978), it has played a continuous leadership
role in defining the nascent field of biomedical engineering.
The program was one of the first in the country to award a Ph.D.
in Biomedical Engineering. From 1979 to 2007, the academic
and research activities of the program were housed in the old
Biomedical Engineering building on Vienna Street, which was the
former site of the Ruston Hospital. The building included
faculty offices, research laboratories, and the main Biomedical
Engineering undergraduate laboratory. In the spring of
2007,
the
Biomedical Engineering program began its move to the new
Biomedical Engineering Center (BEC).
The
BEC consists of 53,000 square
feet of space. It houses classrooms, instructional
laboratories, computers, faculty and administrative offices, and
research and service laboratories.
The Center for Biomedical Engineering
and Rehabilitation Science (CyBERS) has been identified as a Center
of Excellence at Louisiana Tech University, first by the Louisiana
State Legislature in 1985 when it was established, and recently
by the University of Louisiana System in a review of all its colleges
and universities. The Center coordinates all biomedical engineering
research on the campus, such that strong ties are in place with
academic programs in Biomedical Engineering and Biological Sciences,
Tech’s Institute for Micromanufacturing (IfM) - another Center
of Excellence, and Tech’s Center for Numerical Simulation and
Modeling. CyBERS and its closely affiliated Biomedical Engineering
academic program have long had international acclaim for its physiological
research and its rehabilitation engineering and science research
and service. Through partnership with the world-class facilities
and researchers in the IfM, CyBERS has developed expertise in
the growing BioMEMS field. The last 10 years has seen a blossoming
of interest by other universities towards Biomedical or Bio-Engineering,
such that now over 25 undergraduate and 65 graduate programs exist
in the U.S. alone.
Accreditation
The Biomedical Engineering Program at Louisiana Tech is one
of only twenty two in the United States which is accredited by
The Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) and
was the seventh program to achieve this goal. Graduates of the
program are well prepared for taking the Fundamentals of Engineering
examination. Established in 1972, the Biomedical Engineering Department
remains as one of the oldest, largest and strongest such programs
in the United States.
Strengths
Outstanding students from around the world
come to Tech for undergraduate or graduate study in Biomedical
Engineering. The Biomedical Engineering Program at Louisiana Tech
University actively participates in this growing field trough
a comprehensive program of education, research, service.
The Program offers the B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in
Biomedical Engineering. Through the research centers on
campus, faculty, staff and students engage in basic and applied
research projects.
The
Biomedical Engineering faculty members, each of whom holds a Ph.D.
from a distinguished university, have published extensively and
attract substantial funding from federal and private agencies.
Total external funding exceeds $1.0 million annually.
Size
Undergraduate enrollment in Biomedical Engineering at Tech
is approximately
130 students; therefore, the
program is large enough to provide the student with a strong academic
degree but small enough to give the individual attention that
might be needed. Approximately 50% of the BME students are from
outside the state of Louisiana. Additionally, 50% of the BME enrollment
is female and 25% is from under-represented minority groups. The
Program is known as one of the premier programs of the University
and the State.
The
program emphasizes a balance between theory and practical application,
and provides the student with a range of career alternatives upon
graduation including medical school, graduate school and employment.
Internships are also available to undergraduates to help in making
these important career decisions.
Graduate enrollment is approximately 30
students. Many
students come from across the United States and abroad to study
Biomedical Engineering at Louisiana Tech University. The Program
offers degrees through the Doctor of Philosophy and a joint M.D./
Ph.D. program with LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport.
Department
Advisory Board
The Department Advisory Board includes representation from manufacturing,
government agencies, rehabilitation engineering centers, hospitals,
private medical practice, and medical research. The Board provides
input and assistance to the Department on academic, research,
and service matters. The Board considers matters such as recruiting,
curriculum development, course content, laboratory equipment,
program enhancement, and student placement. The Board meets at
least once per year to interact with the faculty, staff and students
and to obtain first-hand information on the operation of the Department.
About
Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University is a state-supported institution
of higher education, founded in 1894. The university mission focuses
on a quality education for a wide range of baccalaureate programs
and selected graduate programs. The university also demonstrates
a strong commitment to research, with special emphasis on engineering
and science. Enrollment is approximately 10,000 students and the
physical plant includes over 130 buildings on 255 acres of main
campus and over 1000 acres of farm and forestry land. Louisiana
Tech University has a long-standing reputation for excellence
in undergraduate engineering instruction. The Biomedical Engineering
Program is one of 11 B.S. degree-granting programs in the College.
These programs include six engineering disciplines, two technology
disciplines, as well as degrees in computer science, geo- sciences,
mathematics, chemistry and physics. In addition to these baccalaureate
degrees, the College offers M.S. programs and Ph.D . degrees
in Engineering, Computational Analysis and Modeling, and Biomedical
Engineering. The College has expanded its research activities
in recent years and developed a national reputation in several
areas. Much of the research is administered through five College-wide
Centers:
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