During this spring semester, three new faculty members are joining the Schaefer School of Engineering and Science (SES), who are a part of the 20 new members joining between 2021 and 2022. Dr. Jennifer Kang-Mieler and Dr. Yu Gan are entering the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME), and Dr. Christopher Sugino is joining the Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME).
Effective June 15, Kang-Mieler will serve as the new Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering. She received her Ph.D. from Northwestern University and was previously a professor at Illinois Institute of Technology, where she played a role in building their BME department. Kang-Mieler is looking forward to meeting the students and she is excited to develop as an educator, leader, and researcher. She is enthusiastic about contributing to the BME department and explained, “I want to build from the excellent foundation and success that Dr. Hongjun Wang initiated. I want to create an environment where everyone shares a common goal of success through open, supportive, and collaborative relationships.”
While working on her Master of Science in Applied Mathematics, she began to miss laboratory research and became fascinated with the eye, specifically the retina. “I am interested in understanding the disease progression and treatment options for retinal vascular diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinal vascular occlusion.” Her laboratory focuses on ocular drug delivery systems, retinal imaging and biomarkers, ophthalmic electrophysiology and ocular hemodynamics. Further information about her research is available on her website.
Also joining the BME department is Dr. Gan. He received his Ph.D. from Columbia University and now serves as an Assistant Professor here at Stevens. He was motivated to join the Stevens community due to the highly collaborative environment and his familial connections to the school, as his wife is a graduate of Stevens.
Gan’s research focuses on biomedical image analysis, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. “In our lab, we train biomedical engineers with computer science skill sets to facilitate our understanding of biomedical medical imaging and improve clinical outcomes in the specific diseases that we have been fighting with. The imaging modes or images that we are interested in include optical coherence tomography, MRI, ultrasound, and CT images.” Gan is looking forward to connecting with students through community activities. He is even looking beyond the campus and planning to connect with local high schools to broaden their exposure to STEM.
Sugino is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering here at Stevens, where he is looking forward to building his own lab and working with the students and faculty. In 2019, he completed his Ph.D. at Georgia Institute of Technology. Sugino was inspired by his undergraduate professors to become a professor himself, and he hopes to have a positive impact on his students. He noted that he could not be happier with the location of Stevens and is excited about all the great food that is so close to campus.
Sugino will be working on research at Stevens. His work focuses on vibration and acoustics, exploring “novel ways to control and harness acoustic waves, using concepts from a multitude of engineering disciplines.” An integral part of his laboratory is the anechoic chamber, which he describes as a “soundproof room used for acoustic measurement. In a well-insulated anechoic chamber, you can hear your own blood flowing.” He mentioned that any students interested in acoustic research should contact him.
Be First to Comment