Bioengineering is the biological or medical application of engineering principles or engineering equipment also called biomedical engineering. (Merriam-Webster) We like to think of it as the application of engineering principles to biological systems. Bioengineering as a defined field is relatively new, although attempts to solve biological problems have persisted throughout history. Recently, the practice of bioengineering has expanded beyond large-scale efforts likeprostheticsand hospital equipment to include engineering at the molecular and cellular level with applications in energy and the environment as well as healthcare. A very broad area of study, bioengineering can include elements of electrical and mechanical engineering, computer science, materials, chemistry and biology. This breadth allows students and faculty to specialize in their areas of interest and collaborate widely with researchers in allied fields. Graduates are well placed to work in management, production or research and development in a variety of industries such as medical devices, diagnostics, genetics, healthcare industry support, pharmaceutical manufacture, drug discovery, environmental remediation, or agricultural advancement as well as in nonprofit and academic research. Many go on to receive advanced degrees in bioengineering or a related field, or to medical school. Other students find the rigor of bioengineering a useful launching point for careers … Continue reading →

ITHACA, N.Y. -- The biological applications of engineering, or bioengineering, is the topic of the 1997 Cornell Society of Engineers annual conference April 10-12 at Cornell University. Featuring Richard A. Hazleton, chairman and CEO of Dow Corning Corp., and Samuel Fleming, chairman and CEO of Decision Resources Inc., the conference "Frontiers in Bioengineering" will highlight research in the rapidly developing field. Featured will be speakers from the Cornell faculty and from industry. Hazleton, the Dow chairman who arrived there in the midst of the silicone breast implant controversy, will give the keynote address, "Science, Public Policy and Ethics in Biomaterials," at a dinner beginning at 7:15 p.m. Friday in the Statler Hotel Terrace Restaurant. Hazleton has appeared frequently on national television and has testified before Congress on the silicone breast implant controversy. The conference kicks off with a talk at 9:25 a.m. Friday, "The Commercial Impact of Biotechnology: What's in Store for the Next 10 Years," by Samuel Fleming (Chem. Eng. '62), chairman and CEO of Decision Resources Inc. His firm, formerly a subsidiary of Arthur D. Little Inc., provides international market forecasting and evaluation for health care, information technology and process industries. His company now has offices on three … Continue reading →