Dacheng Ren has been selected as the inaugural department head of the new Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Tennessee that will launch in August.
Ren comes to UT after spending the last 19 years at Syracuse University, where he was most recently the associate dean for research in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Stevenson Endowed Professor in the Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, and previously the director of the Syracuse Biomaterials Institute. Ren’s research focuses on microbial control, biomaterials, and safety of medical devices.
“I am thrilled to join UT as the inaugural head of the new Department of Biomedical Engineering,” Ren said. “As one of the most rapidly growing disciplines, biomedical engineering provides new knowledge and innovative solutions to better diagnose, treat, and cure diseases, ultimately improving human health and longevity. It is an important and exciting field with unlimited potential.”
Ren received his bachelor’s degree in applied chemistry with a minor in electrical engineering from Shanghai JiaoTong University, and his master’s in chemical engineering from Tianjin University in China. He obtained his PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Connecticut and was a postdoctoral associate at Cornell University prior to joining Syracuse University in 2006.
Ren was honored with an Early Career Translational Research Award in Biomedical Engineering from the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation in 2009 and a National Science Foundation (NSF) Career award in 2011. He is a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). Ren currently has more than 80 journal publications, over 8,500 citations, and 13 issued/pending patents.
“We are excited about Dr. Ren as the inaugural head of our new BME program. He brings a wealth of experience in his own research program, leadership of a Center for Biomaterials, and as a former associate dean of research at Syracuse,” said TCE Dean Matthew Mench, the Wayne T. Davis Dean’s Chair of the college. “He is highly collaborative and committed to building on our momentum and elevating the BME program to new heights”
Launching a New Era
Biomedical engineering has been part of the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering (MABE) within the Tickle College of Engineering since 2001. In March of 2024, the UT Board of Trustees approved a proposal to split MABE into two distinct departments: biomedical engineering (BME) and mechanical and aerospace engineering (MAE).
Over the last five years, the BME program has seen considerable growth in enrollment (21 percent) and an increase in graduates (58 percent), indicating strong interest and demand from students. These numbers are expected to steadily increase over the coming years due to the need for biomedical engineers in the workforce.
BME will be housed in Perkins Hall, which will be renovated with plans to have additional educational labs, meeting rooms, classrooms, and administrative faculty, postdoc, and graduate student offices. Since Perkins doesn’t support research facilities, existing and new research laboratories will be utilized in Dougherty Hall, Science and Engineering Research Facility (SERF), and the Zeanah Engineering Complex.
“With strong support from the Tickle College of Engineering and the university, this department is well positioned for a strong start and promising growth,” Ren said. “As the inaugural department head, I will prioritize building the department with a shared vision of strategic growth, strong academic programs for student success, advanced research with focused areas of excellence, and a supportive environment for the career development of faculty and staff. There is so much that we can achieve together, and I look forward to it.”
Contact
Rhiannon Potkey (865-974-0683, rpotkey@utk.edu)