The Tickle College of Engineering celebrated the historic addition of two new departments with ribbon cutting ceremonies on Sept. 3, 2025. With the launch of the Department of Applied Engineering (AppE) and Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME), the total of number of departments within TCE increased to nine.
“This is a historic era for our college, and the addition of these departments will pave the way for even more innovative and impactful engineering education and research,” said Dean Matthew Mench, the Wayne T. Davis Dean’s Chair of the college. “From our outstanding faculty to our recent records in rank, enrollment, student success, research enterprise, and so many other things, the college has never been in a better place.”
BME launched as stand-alone department last fall, separating from its association with mechanical and aerospace engineering. The separation allows BME to grow, strengthen specialization in its curriculum, and bolster its national identity. The move was made in strategic alignment with the university-level investments in human health and wellness and a strengthening partnership with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center that offers greater opportunities for the department and its faculty and students.
Dacheng Ren, the inaugural BME department head, came to UT after spending the last 19 years at Syracuse University, where he was most recently the associate dean for research in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Stevenson Endowed Professor in the Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, and previously the director of the Syracuse Biomaterials Institute. Ren’s research focuses on microbial control, biomaterials, and safety of medical devices.
“I am thrilled to join UT as the inaugural head of the new Department of Biomedical Engineering,” Ren said. “As one of the most rapidly growing disciplines, biomedical engineering provides new knowledge and innovative solutions to better diagnose, treat, and cure diseases, ultimately improving human health and longevity. It is an important and exciting field with unlimited potential.”
The department is off to a strong start, with increasing student enrollment and curricular updates designed to better prepare the BME workforce. The department is also conducting multiple faculty searches to strengthen both its research and teaching missions.
Photo Gallery
Check out some of the photos from the ribbon cutting ceremonies held on September 3.
