Delphine Dean appointed to chair of the Department of Bioengineering

Delphine Dean, the Ron and Jane Lindsay Family Innovation Professor, has been appointed to serve as the chair of the Department of Bioengineering.

In an announcement to faculty and staff, Anand Gramopadhye, dean of the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences, said that Dean’s impeccable research credentials, passion for helping students achieve at their highest potential, tireless work ethic and ability to work across disciplines, departments and institutions make her eminently qualified to serve as department chair.

Dean played a central role in Clemson University’s response to COVID-19, leading the creation of a diagnostics lab that at its height ran 9,000 tests a day for the University and surrounding community.

She has mentored hundreds of students in Creative Inquiry research projects that have proven educational and inspirational. In one project, Dean and her students traveled to rural areas of Tanzania to assess residents’ needs and then returned to Clemson to develop low-cost medical devices for them.

Dean has advocated for more diversity in the faculty at Clemson and statewide. As part of her advocacy, she spoke at the State House at the invitation of the lieutenant governor and helped lead a workshop arranged by the Governor’s Office to assist women in starting entrepreneurship ventures.

Dean’s research focuses on cardiovascular cell biomechanics, biological effects of radiation and medical device design. Dean was named the Ron and Jane Lindsay Family Innovation Professor in 2020, and she was honored the following year as a member of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering’s College of Fellows.

She received her Ph.D. in electrical engineering and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2005 and joined Clemson’s faculty later that year.

In the announcement, Gramopadhye recognized Martine LaBerge, who has been at the helm of the department for over two decades.

“To say that she leaves a lasting legacy would be an understatement,” he wrote. “I personally have benefitted from her mentorship and leadership but most importantly her friendship. She has been a leader not only of the department but for the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences, the University, the state and the broader bioengineering profession.

“She made a lasting positive impact on the department, and she will continue to positively impact the department through her academic pursuits in her faculty role. I thank her for her years of selfless service. I also thank the search committee led by Jeremy Gilbert and the Bioengineering External Advisory Board, which is chaired by Rebecca DeLegge.

“I am excited to work with Dr. Dean as she takes the department to even greater heights. Please join me in welcoming her to her new role.”