International Reputation of the Department of Bioengineering
Clemson’s bioengineering program began in 1963 with the creation of a PhD program in bioengineering. A master's degree program was added in 1966, and the bioengineering program became a separate division in the Graduate School in 1968. In 1978, departmental status was granted with the formation of the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, which was renamed Department of Bioengineering in 1984. Since then, the department has achieved national recognition for the strength of both its graduate and research programs, whose primary emphasis is on the study of biomaterials, particularly for cardiovascular and orthopaedic applications and related areas. Clemson University is known as the international birthplace of the field of “biomaterials”, building blocks of medical devices. The Society For Biomaterials, the premier professional society in the field of bioengineering began at Clemson in 1974. The Department of Bioengineering at Clemson University is the curator of The C. William Hall Biomaterials Documentation Center, an international database of archived documents in biomaterials endorsed by the Society For Biomaterials. Each year, the Society For Biomaterials solicits nominations for outstanding work in the Clemson Award categories: Clemson Award for Applied Research, Clemson Award for Basic Research, and Clemson Award for Contributions to the Literature. The history of these awards reflects the strong traditional ties between the Society For Biomaterials and Clemson University over the past three decades. Award recipients are selected on the basis of individual nominations, three supporting letters of recommendation, and the curriculum vitae of the candidate. They are then selected by the Awards, Ceremonies and Nominations Committee of the Society For Biomaterials and confirmed by the president of Clemson University.
In 2005, Clemson University ranked 24 in the top public biomedical/bioengineering graduate programs in the United States (US News and World Report, 2005). In 2002, the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation selected Clemson as one of nine academic institutions in the United States to host the first NIH-NSF Bioengineering and Bioinformatics Summer Institute (BBSI) Program. The BBSI at Clemson offers a didactic experience where undergraduate and graduate students learn the basic principles necessary for understanding medical device development, clinical applications, and failure assessment, and the application of these principles in cutting-edge research projects. Twelve undergraduate students from all over the United States attend this annual ten-week program. (The program supplements the long-standing Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program in bioengineering at Clemson University, funded by the National Science Foundation.) In addition, since 2002, the College of Engineering and Science at Clemson University has hosted a four week long summer camp, entitled “Building a Better You”, where in-state and regional high school students learn the role and importance of bioengineering in society for both the present and future. Based on a successful track record in bioengineering graduate education, the faculty in the Department of Bioengineering is committed and dedicated to offering the best undergraduate training available.
In 2005, Clemson University ranked 24 in the top public biomedical/bioengineering graduate programs in the United States (US News and World Report, 2005). In 2002, the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation selected Clemson as one of nine academic institutions in the United States to host the first NIH-NSF Bioengineering and Bioinformatics Summer Institute (BBSI) Program. The BBSI at Clemson offers a didactic experience where undergraduate and graduate students learn the basic principles necessary for understanding medical device development, clinical applications, and failure assessment, and the application of these principles in cutting-edge research projects. Twelve undergraduate students from all over the United States attend this annual ten-week program. (The program supplements the long-standing Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program in bioengineering at Clemson University, funded by the National Science Foundation.) In addition, since 2002, the College of Engineering and Science at Clemson University has hosted a four week long summer camp, entitled “Building a Better You”, where in-state and regional high school students learn the role and importance of bioengineering in society for both the present and future. Based on a successful track record in bioengineering graduate education, the faculty in the Department of Bioengineering is committed and dedicated to offering the best undergraduate training available.
