VOLUME VI ISSUE 6 MARCH 2012 THEPIONEER.GATECH.EDU
PRE-HEALTH
SPOTLIGHT
DESIGN
Factors to help decide if medical school is the path to take
Words from Dr. Fasse on the novelty and usage of Problem Based Learning
How to professionally source materials for upcoming projects
Pioneer A WALLACE H. COULTER PRODUCTION
Management in Healthcare Bill Todd by Rachel Stewart—Undergraduate Student in the Coulter Department
Dr. Bill Todd is a distinguished Georgia Tech alumni, whose multi-faceted career has facilitated major advances in science, medicine, and technology in Georgia. (Photo: Virginia Lin)
THE YEAR IS 1989. Bill Todd sat at his desk, furrowing his brow and rubbing his forehead, brainstorming strategies to encourage cooperation amongst Georgia’s research universities, businesses, and government. An alliance between these groups would bolster scientific discovery and economic development. But how could these complicated independent organizations develop useful partnerships, benefitting from each others work? Todd thought back to recent years when he had been instrumental in forming a symbiotic partnership between two schools of differing foci. One was a public school, which had engineering skill but virtually no medical programs. The other was a private school, which had excellent medical programs but virtually no engineering skill. He saw an opportunity to enhance their productivity and in order to encourage the bond between the schools, Todd and his colleagues developed system of seed grants to fund labs based in both schools. The two schools grew together, profiting from each other’s specialized skills, and that bond eventually developed into the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering… Continued on page 8
A Vision for the Future Dr. Joseph Le Doux and the BME Undergraduate Program by Subhendu De—Undergraduate Student in the Coulter Department OVER THE PAST DECADE, the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering has undergone tremendous growth. None was more pronounced than that of the undergraduate Biomedical Engineering (BME) program. Since 1997, many faculty members have been involved with fostering growth and shaping the program into what it is today. Shortly before the commencement of the 2011-2012 year, several changes in the administration’s faculty led to Dr. Joseph Le Doux entering the position of Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies. Le Doux, who is taking over from Dr. Paul Benkeser, Senior Associate Chair for Operation, now has the responsibility of leading the entire undergraduate program. Le Doux has been a faculty member with the Department of Biomedical Engineering since 1999, and has played an instrumental role in developing core aspects of the... Continued on page 4
Dr. Benkeser is now the Senior Associate Chair for Operations and Dr. Le Doux is the new Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies (Photo: William Sessions)