Message from the Dean
Newly-appointed Dean Natacha DePaola joined IIT academic year 2009/2010. DePaola has been chair of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Department of Biomedical Engineering since 2005 and on the faculty since 1994. Before RPI, DePaola was assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Northwestern University.
As chair of biomedical engineering at RPI, DePaola led a targeted effort to grow the faculty body, diversify the undergraduate and graduate curricula, and expand research focus areas and funding. She developed a departmental vision, mission, and strategic plan, formed a new departmental advisory council, led the department through a successful ABET accreditation process, and created the BME Undergraduate Advising and Student Affairs Office. During her tenure, the department has seen a significant increase in student enrollment, has hired six tenured or tenure-track faculty members, and has strengthened its partnership with Albany Medical College, including the development of The Physician Engineer (PE) Program: an enriched program leading to the Bachelor in Engineering and MD degree designed to “train individuals committed to bring engineering science and technology research to the practice of medicine.”
(Message from the Dean is forthcoming.)