While BME’s history as an official academic department spans 30 years, Michigan’s biomedical engineering influence can be traced far earlier to the 1960s—beginning with a bold experiment in graduate education.
University of Michigan’s Biomedical Engineering (BME) is marking its 30th anniversary as a department this year—celebrating a community shaped by decades of interdisciplinary collaboration, sustained investment in people and facilities, and a persistent drive to translate engineering breakthroughs into better health.
While BME’s history as an official academic department spans 30 years, Michigan’s biomedical engineering influence can be traced far earlier to the 1960s—beginning with a bold experiment in graduate education.
Michigan’s biomedical engineering roots trace to 1962, when U‑M established a Bioengineering Program as a degree‑granting, interdisciplinary graduate program under the Rackham School of Graduate Studies. The program’s first director was Glenn V. Edmonson, a mechanical engineering professor. His contributions to our department are recognized annually through the Glenn V. Edmonson Lecture, held in conjunction with the BME Symposium. His family also continues to support student scholarships in his name.
In 1964, the program developed its first course—quantitative physiology for bioengineers—followed in rapid succession by coursework in biomedical instrumentation, electrical biophysics and biomechanics. From the beginning, the curriculum blended engineering fundamentals with life science and medicine, drawing core courses from departments such as biochemistry, physical chemistry, thermodynamics and gross anatomy.
By 1967, the program awarded its first doctoral degrees to Spencer L. BeMent, John Campbell Jr. and Nelson E. Leatherman. By 1972, enrollment had grown to include 53 students—22 master’s and 31 doctoral—a sign that the field’s promise was already attracting students eager to build careers at the interface of engineering and biology.
To commemorate this milestone, BME is introducing a special 30th anniversary logo, which will soon be made available to BME faculty and staff for use on slide decks and email signature lines. The logo also will appear in newsletters, social media and other communications through the end of 2026. Stay tuned for more feature stories and highlights of BME’s history throughout the year.
