McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine faculty member Harvey Borovetz, PhD, was named the recipient of the 2012 Theo C. Pilkington Outstanding Educator Award from the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). Dr. Borovetz is the Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Bioengineering (his inaugural lecture, "Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh: Past, Present and A TERRIFIC FUTURE," was presented March 20, 2012), the Robert L. Hardesty Professor, Department of Surgery, Professor, Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, and the Deputy Director of Artificial Organs and Medical Devices at the McGowan Institute.
The Biomedical Engineering Division (BED) of ASEE annually awards the Theo Pilkington Outstanding Educator Award. This award is conferred by the division for significant contributions to biomedical engineering education as evidenced by the development of successful undergraduate or graduate level programs, curricula, publications as well as by membership and activities in ASEE/BED and other biomedical engineering organizations.
Dr. Borovetz is a fellow the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, a past member of the Board of Trustees of the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs, and a past member of the Board of Directors of The Biomedical Engineering Society. He has served on numerous NIH study sections, as an ad hoc reviewer on the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Whitaker Foundation, and as an external reviewer for the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers University, and the Bioengineering/Biotechnology initiative at the University of Massachusetts. Dr. Borovetz has also served as a panelist for the U.S. Department of Commerce, regarding its National Technology Initiative.
Dr. Borovetz's current research interests are focused on the design and clinical utilization of cardiovascular organ replacements for both adult and pediatric patients. Since 1986, he has headed the University's Clinical Bioengineering Program in Mechanical Circulatory Support and has been featured in several publications. This is a one-of-a-kind program that supports patients who are implanted with a left ventricular assist device or a total artificial heart as a bridge to cardiac transplantation. This work in mechanical circulatory support followed Dr. Borovetz's early efforts in which he helped cardiac surgeons apply extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to successfully treat a large series of neonates in respiratory distress. Dr. Borovetz has also undertaken part-time sabbaticals at NIH, working in the Bioengineering Research Group of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
Other areas of research in which Dr. Borovetz and his research team are involved include the investigation of the role of hemodynamics in vascular biology and physiology. For this work, Dr. Borovetz and his students developed a pulsatile perfusion apparatus for the purpose of exposing intact animal and human vessels to realistic physiologic and pathophysiologic hemodynamics (e.g., hypertension) ex-vivo. As such, this work complements the parallel plate flow and cell culture studies which investigate the role of shear stress in endothelial cell biology. A seminal study in this area was the investigation of the putative biologic effects of exposing saphenous vein bypass grafts to arterial hemodynamics and biomechanical forces. The resulting paper, which evolved from nearly 10 years of effort in biomechanics and biochemical measurements of intact blood vessels, was awarded the prestigious Liebig Award for Vascular Surgery Research at the 1990 annual meeting of the International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery.
Founded in 1893, the American Society for Engineering Education is a nonprofit organization of individuals and institutions committed to furthering education in engineering and engineering technology. It accomplishes this mission by:
- promoting excellence in instruction, research, public service, and practice;
- exercising worldwide leadership;
- fostering the technological education of society; and
- providing quality products and services to members.
In pursuit of academic excellence, ASEE develops policies and programs that enhance professional opportunities for engineering faculty members, and promotes activities that support increased student enrollments in engineering and engineering technology colleges and universities. Strong communication and collaboration with national and international organizations further advances ASEE's mission.
ASEE also fulfills its mission by providing a valuable communication link among corporations, government agencies, and educational institutions. ASEE's 12,000+ members include deans, department heads, faculty members, students, and government and industry representatives who hail from all disciplines of engineering and engineering technology. ASEE's organizational membership is composed of 400 engineering and engineering technology colleges and affiliates, more than 50 corporations, and numerous government agencies and professional associations. ASEE directs many of its efforts at providing for open and ongoing dialogues among these groups.
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Swanson School of Engineering News (03/20/12)
American Society for Engineering Education Theo C. Pilkington Outstanding Educator Award