Joel David BumgardnerDr. Joel D. Bumgardner is currently a professor and Academic Programs co-director in the Biomedical Engineering Department at The University of Memphis (2004-present). His research has provided key insights into material - cell interactions and biocorosion processes that have advanced our understanding of the health benefit-risks of implant alloys. He also is a leader in investigating and developing the biopolymer, chitosan, for use in implant coatings, drug delivery and tissue engineering applications. He has over 84 journal articles, 17 book chapters, 6 patent disclosures (2 licensed for infection abatement therapies using chitosan materials) and 215+ presentations and invited lectures. More importantly he has mentored over 60 students; 9 of which have received NSF and or Whitaker graduate fellowships, 4 Fulbright Fellowships, and more than 10 students accepted to medical, dental or law school. He has received numerous awards for his research and instruction including the 2012 Outstanding Instructor Award in the Herff College of Engineering University of Memphis, Outstanding Professor (2001 & 2002) Awards in the Bagley College of Engineering, Mississippi State University, and the University of Alabama Engineering School Alumni recognition award as one of the '40 Engineers Making a Difference' 2011. He is also an elected Fellow (2011) of American Institute of Medical & Biological Engineering and a JW Fulbright Scholar (1994), Umeå University, Umeå Sweden. He is active in several professional organizations such as American Association for Dental Research, American Institute of Medical & Biological Engineering and the Society for Biomaterials in which he has held numerous leadership positions including program chair of the 2005 Annual Meeting, and President (2012-2013). He is a regular reviewer for the NIH and NSF and many biomaterials related journals and serves as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Biomaterial Materials Research: Part B. He obtained his BS Degree in Biology from Florida State University, and his BS in Materials Science, and MS and PhD in Biomedical Engineering all from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Bumgardner was a faculty member in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Mississippi State University (1994-2004). Read More Read Less