Chair, Department of Biomedical Engineering

Vanderbilt University School of Engineering invites nominations and applications for the position of Chair, Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME). BME seeks a visionary, collaborative leader who will continue to strengthen the department’s mission to maintain its position as a global leader in BME education and research. Reporting to the Dean of Engineering, the incoming chair will be expected to build upon BME’s nationally recognized programs, leading the department to greater levels of distinction and impact. 

Housed in the Vanderbilt University School of Engineering (VUSE), the Department of Biomedical Engineering is ranked number 14 by the U.S. News & World Report, and the program, accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, remains one of the most well-respected programs nationally. BME is home to 40 primary faculty and more than 45 secondary faculty, and graduates 50-70 undergraduates annually. The department boasts 138 current PhD students, including nine who entered through Vanderbilt’s MD/PhD dual degree Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). A third of the department’s PhD students have individual graduate fellowships, including 41 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellows. Highly interdisciplinary by nature, the BME undergraduate curriculum combines math, science, engineering, design, and a broader education in the liberal arts to prepare biomedical engineers to advance human health. The department maintains a close affiliation with the school of medicine, which was ranked fifth by the U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of top medical schools for research and facilitates a wide variety of collaborative efforts between faculty and students in both schools. 

The Department of Biomedical Engineering seeks a leader with a record of outstanding scholarship with a collegial, transparent, decisive, and empowering leadership style that will propel the department forward. Potential candidates must communicate effectively about the department’s goals and vision internally, across departments, with the dean and university leadership, and with external stakeholders, including alumni and donors. The next department chair must be an innovative, inclusive, and forward-looking leader with significant recognition for high-impact scholarship, a strong commitment to interdisciplinary research and education, and must demonstrate comprehensive leadership acumen with a track record of successful and inclusive mentoring of faculty, staff, and students. 

Inquiries, applications, and nominations may be sent in confidence electronically below. 

Karen McPhedran is leading this search with Afi Tettey-Fio.

Vanderbilt University has a strong institutional commitment to recruiting and retaining an academically and culturally diverse community of faculty. Minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and members of other underrepresented groups, in particular, are encouraged to apply. Vanderbilt is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.