A Program o.n . . .

BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

KA-YIU SAN, LARRY V. McINTIRE Rice University . . . nearly all of these newly emerging, high-technology Houston, TX 77251-1892 areas require not only training in the fundamentals of chemical engineering, but also demand a good basic knowledge of the science in the area concerned. E HAVE WITNESSED a gradual change in the chemical engineering profession in the last dec­ W ACADEMIC PROGRAM ade. Chemical engineers have branched out and have found new and exciting career opportunities in a Rice University has been at the forefront of number of emerging areas, such as bioengineering, biomedical engineering research for more than twenty advanced materials processing, and electronic and years. The Biomedical Engineering Laboratory was photonic materials. However, nearly all of these first established in 1964 to provide engineering design newly emerging, high-technology areas require not and development support for Dr. DeBakey's Baylor­ only training in the fundamentals of chemical en­ Rice total artificial heart. Dr. David Hellums, the cur­ gineering, but also demand a good basic knowledge of rent A. J. Hartsook Professor of Chemical Engineer­ the science in the area concerned. This is particularly ing, was a founding member. Since then the effort has true in the field of bioengineering, where much of the greatly expanded, but the research has remained cen­ science was not even known ten years ago. It is our tered on problems related to the cardiovascular sys­ belief that if chemical engineers are to play an active tem. Beginning in 1979, the chemical engineering de­ and important role at the frontier of this exciting area, partment decided to enlarge its efforts in bioengineer­ they must be trained to be proficient in engineering ing to include biochemical engineering. New faculty fundamentals as well as in biochemistry, cell biology, with different, yet complementary, interests were re­ and molecular biology. Here at Rice University we cruited to enlarge the scope of our existing biomedical are working toward this goal by forming three com­ research activities. Currently, our program has six prehensive research and education programs in a faculty members and is expected to increase to a total Biosciences/Bioengineering Institute. The Institute of nine over the next five to ten years. Over the past will be located in a new 110,000 ft2 building designed four years, we have averaged four graduating PhDs for crossdisciplinary laboratory investigations involv­ in biochemical and biomedical engineering, which is ing biochemical and biomedical engineers and life sci­ approximately half of our total department PhD entists (see Figure 1). graduates (40 for the four-year period). Six of the re­ cent graduates currently hold Assistant Professor po­ sitions in chemical engineering departments around the country. Approximately half of our total chemical engineering department graduate students are work­ ing on bioengineering thesis topics. The philosophy of our program is to create an envi­ ronment which will provide basic training in engineer­ ing principles and life sciences, and to prepare our students to meet new challenges in the process as­ pects of biotechnology. Three engineering options are currently offered: one is a five year undergraduate program, leading to a degree of Master of Engineering with emphasis in bioengineering; the second program leads to a PhD degree in chemical engineering; the FIGURE 1. Architectural model of the new Biosciences/ Bioengineering Institute at Rice. 0 Copyright ChE Division ASEE 1989

200 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING EDUCATION third is a joint program with the Baylor College of Medicine which leads to a MD/MS or MD/PhD degree. FIGURE 2 The professional Master of Engineering Degree in Organizational Structure biochemical engineering (non-thesis) is designed to Biosciences and Bioengineering Institute provide chemical engineering students with funda­ mental training in biochemistry, microbiology, and Biosciences and Bioengineering Institute molecular biology. Students enrolled in this program not only have to fulfill core requirements in chemical i i i Laboratory for Laboratory for Laboratory for engineering, but also have to fulfill certain require­ Basic Biomedical Biochemical and ments offered in the Department of Biochemistry and Medical Science En ineerin Genetic En ineerin

Cell Biology, including extensive laboratory work. Diredor: G.J. Schroepfer Director: L.V. McIntire Director: F.B. Rudolph Assoc. Dir. J.L. Moake The five-year structure appears to be necessary to Engineering Faculty Engineering Faculty Engineering Faculty give sufficient breadth. However, students can obtain None Chemic.al Engineering Chemical Eoaineering C.D. Armoniades M.W. Glad

FALL 1989 201 tise; and 3) to serve as an interface for expanded in­ lationships have already been established between the teraction and collaboration between Rice University, Cox Laboratory and several of those at the Texas the Texas Medical Center, NASA Johnson Space Medical Center. Both Professors McIntire and Hel­ Center, private industries, and other research organi­ lums are Adjunct Professors in the Department of zations. Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine and the The organizational structure of the newly formed University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Hous­ Biosciences and Bioengineering Institute is shown in ton. A brief list of current research projects can be Figure 2. The Institute consists of three major found in Table 2. laboratories, each of which pursues a distinct course The Laboratory for Biochemical and Genetic En­ of research. Faculty from the department of chemical gineering, headed by biochemistry professor Fred engineering, depending on their research interests, Rudolph, will focus on areas such as genetics, im­ will play an active role in two of these laboratories. munology, protein engineering, molecular biology, The Cox Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering, microbiology, medicine, and agriculture. The mem­ led by Larry McIntire, concentrates on research re­ bership of this laboratory will include faculty from lated to diseases of the cardiovascular system. Cur­ various departments, including biochemistry and cell rently, the laboratory consists of six faculty members biology, chemical engineering, and chemistry (Figure from the department of chemical engineering and a 2). number of adjunct professors from Baylor College of The Laboratory of Basic Medical Sciences, with Medicine and the University of Texas Health Sciences director George Schroepfer, has a major continuing Center at Houston (see Table 1). Close working re- research effort on understanding cholesterol metabolism. As noted above, a significant part of the enhance­ ment effort includes a new $24 million building which TAB LE 1 is being constructed to house the Biosciences/Bioen- Structure of Rice Biomedical Engineering Laboratory

Staff Larry V. Mel ntire, PhD • Director TABLE 2 Joel L. Moake, MD• Associate Director Arnez J. Washington • Administrative Secretary Bioengineering Research at Rice Marcella Estrella • Senior Research Technician Nancy Turner• Research Technician Principal Thomas W. Chow, PhD • Senior Research Associate Investigators Biomedical Projects Mattias U. Noller!, PhD• Research Associate Colin B. McKay, PhD• Research Scientist J.D. Hellums, • effects of physical forces on vascular cells L.V. McIntire • vascular wall strain effects on cell metabolism Faculty • mass transfer in the microcirculation C.D. Armeniades • Professor, Chemical Engineering • video microscopy analysis of blood cell-vessel wall J.D. Hellums• A.J. Hartsook Professor, Chemical Engineering interactions L.V. McIntire• ED.Butcher Professor and Chairman, ChE M.W. Glacken • Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering J.L. Moake, • control of tissue plasminogen activator production K.Y. San• Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering J.D. Hellums, by endothelial cells J.V. Shanks• Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering L.V. McIntire • shear-induced von Willebrand factor aggregation of J.W. Clark• Professor, Electrical Engineering platelets H.M. Bourland• Lecturer, Electrical Engineering • new therapeutic strategies for Sickle Cell Anemia

Adjunct Faculty from the Texas Medical Center L.V. McIntire • biochemical control of tumor metastasis C.P. Alfrey, MD.PhD• Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology, C. Armeniades • biomechanics of eye tissue and control of healing Baylor College of Medicine S.G. Eskin, PhD• Associate Professor, Division of Surgery, Baylor J.W. Clark • cell modeling studies College of Medicine E. R. Hall, MD • Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Univer­ Bioreactor Projects sity of Texas Medical School E.C. Lynch, MD• Associate Chairman, Division of Medicine, Baylor M.W. Glacken • metabolic control of mammalian cell culture reactors College of Medicine • kinetics of antigen shedding from colon cancer cells D.A. Sears, MD• Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology, • adhesive interaction of mammalian cells Baylor College of Medicine R.T. Solis, MD• Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine K.Y. San • construction/characterization of new plasmid vectors Pulmonary Division, Methodist Hospital • dynamics of bioreactors in tranc:ent environments M.M . Udden, MD • Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology, • development of artifical intelligence-based control Baylor College of Medicine algorithms K.K. Wu, MD• Professor and Chairman, Division of Hematology and • microgravity bioprocessing Oncology, University of Texas Medical School J.V. Shanks • plant cell tissue culture re3ctors F.M. Yatsu, MD• Professor and Chairman, Division of Neurology, • use of high field NMR for in vivo cell metabolism studies University of Texas Medical School

202 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING EDUCATION gineering Institute. More than 22,000 square feet viding all the necessary logistical support to facilitate have been allocated to accommodate the chemical en­ interdisciplinary collaboration. More importantly, the gineering aspects of bioengineering. This building is potential barriers which often arise from distant phys­ expected to be completed and fully operational by the ical locations of various departments across the cam­ winter of 1990. pus will be removed by housing life scientists and en­ gineers under the same roof. As such, it will not only CONCLUDING REMARKS create an atmosphere which promotes interaction be­ In summary, these are exciting times at Rice Uni­ tween the students and faculty from different disci­ versity. The implementation of the new enhancement plines, but will also provide opportunities for the en­ program is another big step toward the goal and com­ gineering students to work, side by side, with life sci­ mitment of Rice University in striving for excellence entists from other research groups. We therefore in its undergraduate and graduate education. In par­ firmly believe that our program provides a unique and ticular, the formation of the Biosciences/Bioengineer­ challenging educational environment. Students ing Institute significantly enhances our biochemical graduating from the bioengineering program will be and biomedical engineering program. It creates a well-equipped with fundamental training and will have unique environment which fosters close interactions had the necessary exposure in both engineering and between life scientists and engineers. The Institute will life sciences for further professional development. D also serve as an effective administrative body in pro- l•nfll_I_e_t_te_r_s______university," and then wrote, "One of the great inventions STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY 1988-1 989 of 20th century America, the private corporation, has be­ gun to displace, as a formal structure and as a style of To The Editor: management, the older ecclesiastical and aca demic structures and styles in which universities grew up." He The following is excerpted from a larger document, suggests that the "collegial" style of shared decision-mak­ "Faculty Perceptions of the State of the University, 1988- ing has given way to the hierarchical style of big busi­ 1989," which was prepared for the Faculty Senate at the ness. While big institutions need capable administrators, University of Cincinnati. I chaired the committee which "too many people see themselves as managers first, aca­ produced this report. demics second. They talk about strategy, not vision. Numbers replace rhetoric. An institution that once saw it­ A university becomes too large when it can no longer self as connected to history now prides itself as 'at the provide members of the university community with the cutting edge'. The greatest subtle, unintended effect of services or ambience they expect, without amassing such these trends has been to split off the managers from the complicated bureaucracies that they actually end up pre­ faculty." venting the very goals they are attempting to achieve. If universities are becoming corporate at a time Steven Muller, President of Johns Hopkins has said, "The when contemporary corporations are de-layering and major research university of today is a radically different decentralizing, then there ought to be a symbolic lesson institution than its predecessors of three or four decades learned from recent corporate history. American corpo­ ago. The most obvious difference is size. There have now rate executives often have acted as a privileged class, evolved in the United States between 50 and 100 major asking sacrifices of middle management, professionals research universities that are megasize-numbering their and other workers, that upper management will not students in tens of thousands, their faculty and adminis­ make. While the rhetoric of corporate culture stresses the trative cadres in thousands, their buildings and their need to work together, the top executives stress efficiency acreage in hundreds." and impose work rules and cost cutting measures. They Most educators agree that "multiuniversity" is an apt vote themselves raises, golden parachutes and bonuses, description of the university of today. Twenty years ago while workers at all levels are laid off. During the re­ Columbia University had three vice presidents and a cession years of 1981 to 1983, the compensation of chief budget of $136 million; now it has 12 and a budget of executives nearly doubled while national unemployment $619 million. The problem in managing such vast institu­ passed the 11 % mark. In symbolic contrast to these tions has led to what A. Bartlett Giamatti, former Presi­ American management practices, Japanese executives in dent of Yale, called "the corporatization of the American Continued on page 235.

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