Rowan University appoints Dr. Mark Byrne to head new Biomedical Engineering program

Rowan University has named educator and researcher Dr. Mark Byrne as professor and inaugural chairman of the new Biomedical Engineering Department in its nationally recognized College of Engineering.

A leader in the field of biomaterials engineering, controlled therapeutic delivery, pharmaceutical engineering, polymer engineering and medical devices, Byrne has won numerous awards for his teaching and research and has licensed a number of innovative technologies.

Research appointments

Prior to coming to Rowan, he served as the Daniel & Josephine Breeden Distinguished Associate Professor in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering at Auburn University in Alabama. He has also held research appointments at a number of universities and laboratories, including the University of Texas at Austin, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Purdue University, among other appointments.

“Dr. Byrne has the education, experience and credentials to not only further develop and lead our new biomedical engineering program but also to nurture our student researchers in a very demanding and constantly evolving field,” said Dr. Anthony Lowman, dean of the College of Engineering. “His background is an excellent fit for a school that will continue to grow its focus on research.”

Byrne earned his Ph.D. and M.S.Ch.E. in chemical engineering from Purdue University and his B.S. in chemical engineering with a biomedical engineering minor from Carnegie Mellon University.

Inventor and entrepreneur

An inventor with eight issued patents and another four pending, Byrne is co-founder and chief technology officer of OcuMedic, Inc., a drug-delivery company in Auburn, Alabama. Numerous government agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and U.S. Department of Education, have funded his research.

He has published more than 75 peer-reviewed publications with more than1,500 citations and has given more than 210 scientific conference presentations and invited lectures at companies, universities and international meetings.

Byrne has held a number of leadership roles in professional organizations and currently serves on four editorial boards. He also has developed and organized more than 45 scientific and technical sessions at national and international conferences, including the U.S. National Academy of Engineering.

Award winner

He has received more than 25 awards for his teaching and research, including all major teaching and mentoring awards at Auburn University, and he is a fellow in the American Institute for Medical & Biological Engineering. His mentored graduate and undergraduate students have received more than 80 awards for their research, including some of the most prestigious distinctions and competitive awards in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics areas.

“I am thrilled to build a nationally and internationally recognized program in biomedical engineering at Rowan,” Byrne said. “It is a tremendous opportunity, and we have ambitious plans to grow the undergraduate and graduate programs as well as conduct leading innovative research and teaching. The College of Engineering has some of the best faculty in the world, with tremendous commitment to novel education and research. It is a pleasure to join their prestigious, established programs in this period of unprecedented growth at Rowan. It is truly an exciting time to be at Rowan.”

A Pittsburgh native, he now resides in Mullica Hill with his wife, Susan, and their four children, Katherine, Charlotte, John, and Jack.

Rowan Engineering welcomed its first class of biomedical engineering students this semester. Biomedical engineering is at the intersection of medicine and biology, with the focus on the improvement of heath care systems. Rowan's biomedical engineering program educates its students to analyze and design innovative solutions, with the goal of improving the quality and effectiveness of patient care. Modeled after the proven hands-on, real-world, project-based curriculum of Rowan’s existing engineering programs, the biomedical engineering degree program will prepare students to contribute to health care solutions in an increasingly multidisciplinary environment and to enter such fields as engineering and medicine. The new program joins existing offerings at Rowan in chemical, civil and environmental, electrical and computer, and mechanical engineering.