Teaching
Creative Inquiry Section 21: Hands on Tissue Engineering
Efficient cell collection from culture plates is a fundamental process towards achieving the goal of engineering a tissue. Current detachment processes involves enzymes that compromise cell membrane resulting in the impairment of cell functionality. This project aims to research on alternative approaches for cell detachment based on the attraction/repulsion of electrical charges. Photovoltaic and electrical charged surfaces will be explored to evaluate the level of cell detachment/dissociation and cell damage. The first phase of the project will consist on demonstrating that charged molecules can be release from a substrate. The second phase will incorporate studies with living cells. Students will work in two topics: cell biology and engineering control of electrical charged surfaces. In the cell biology, students will have hands on experience on the cell culturing protocol based on enzymatic detachment. In the engineering part, students will control the electrical and photonic characteristics of the substrates plus characterizing and simulating the behavior at different patterns. This CI will provide the student research environment insights in bioengineering to better assess his propensity to continue towards graduate school. Students are expected to be enrolled in this CI at least two consecutive semesters. The development of novel techniques for cell detachment promises to ease the cell culturing protocol, to minimize cell damage, and ultimately improved the fabrication of engineered tissues. Applications for the team are due towards the end of the semester.
ACTIVA tu speaking (CI/Undergraduate Research)
Students from Clemson team up with students from the University of Guadalajara and work on solving a global engineering challenge as a team. Virtual meetings are scheduled to debate each team's approach to the challenge. By the end of the program, a video/podcast is created by each team, showcasing their solution. Each team has bilingual mentors to provide advice about the scientific topic (ie. scientists, researchers, medical doctors, professionals)
This program aims to nurture your scientific creativity and develop your communication skills. Fall 2020 topics included "Podcast Music to my ears," "Myths and Facts of the use of House Growth Peppermint and Cayenne pepper" and "Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic." See the outcomes of the Fall 2020 semester here:
https://spark.adobe.com/page/U9KRt3dw0THNM/
Past Classes
BE 4400 Energy Sustainability, Study abroad program in Trier Germany
(Summer 2015)
Investigation into merging renewable energy resources, including detailed study of solar, wind, and bioenergy alternatives. Also includes principles, technologies, and performance evaluation of components for these technologies and an introduction to tidal, hydro, geothermal, and other energy; energy conservation; cogeneration; financial, economical, and other issues related to alternative energy sources. May also be offered as CE 4400. Preq: Junior standing in an engineering major. Coreq: BE 4401.
BioE 3700: Bioinstrumentation and Bioimaging
(Teaching Assistant, 2013-2014)
Introduction of fundamental topics in bioinstrumentation and bioimaging focused on the acquisition and monitoring of vital signals. Basic principles for the selection and appropriate use of instruments for solving bioengineering and medical problems such as microscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasounds, among others, are addressed. Preq: MATH 2080; and ECE 2020 or ECE 2070. Coreq: BIOE 3701.
BioE 4010/4030: Theory and Applied Senior Design
(Co-instructor of record, 2014-2015)
Introduces principles of engineering design and applies them to the design of medical devices. Covers materials selection, fabrication processes, performance standards, cost analysis, and design optimization. Students defend a design project proposal in written and oral form before a faculty jury. Preq: BIOE 3020 or BIOE 3070 or BIOE 3200.
BioE 4510 Creative Inquiry, undergraduate research
(Instructor of Record)
Section 4: MACOBE, mathematical models to solve cell migration (2013-2015)
Neurons, as the building components and responsive cells in the nervous system, are best known for their capability to process and transmit information by electrochemical signaling. The complexity and diversity in nervous systems depends on the interconnections between neurons. This complexity makes neuronal processes very difficult to analyze, predict, and interpret. Therefore, this creative inquiry aims to bring students from several different departments to tackle these issues. This team has been working on these projects for several semesters. In the next phase of the project, the team will determine how cells respond to growth factor concentration gradients and whether cells can solve mazes! This will involve experiments as well as computational modeling techniques. By using a combination of experimental, analytical and computational techniques, the team will work on various problems related to cell growth modeling. Applications for the team are typically due at the end of the semester.
Section 10: Designing Medical Technology for the Developing World (2013- present)
Developing countries face healthcare challenges every day, whether it is lack of supplies or a shortage of healthcare professionals. Medical devices and equipment that are considered standard in hospitals in the United States can be hard to find and very expensive in developing countries, such as Tanzania. Tanzania has recently made significant advances with the quality of their healthcare; however, the infant mortality rate is still ten times greater than that of the United States. This is due to the lack of technology available and untrained healthcare professionals to use these medical devices. The goal of this Creative Inquiry team is to design and develop medical instrumentation and monitors that are robust, user-friendly, and low-cost for developing countries. The students on this team will be expected to work on electronics and instrument design. The first project will focus on developing a neonatal temperature sensing and control system for the prevention of hyperthermia in premature babies for Tanzanian health centers. The next projects will focus on development and design of cheap pulse oximeter and electrocardiography systems to monitor the blood oxygen levels and heart rates in these babies. These types of projects not only have the ability to improve the lives of young infants and families, but they can also impact the medical field in developing nations worldwide. Applications for the team are typically due at the end of the semester.
Section 34: Bionic Arm (2015-present)
This project is inspired by the eNABLE community whose projects are providing motion controlled prosthetics for children. Our goal is to use their open source designs to 3D print a prosthetic arm and embed electronics for motion control via electromyography (EMG) and electroencephalogram (EEG).
Section xx: Freshmen/Senior Design and Mentoring Experiences in Bioengineering (2013-2015)
The Bioengineering curriculum offers a unique undergraduate creative inquiry experience that combines design experiences with undergraduate peer-tutoring. Beginning in the Fall semester small groups of general engineering freshmen who are interested in pursuing Bioengineering as their major will be recruited and paired with small groups of undergraduate senior bioengineering students, and together, they will explore exciting and challenging problems in Bioengineering Design. Using the established BIOE451 (Creative Inquiry in BioE) as a mechanism of providing credit for participation, 15-20 freshmen who are enrolled in engineering classes will be recruited with the assistance of ESE faculty . These students will be interviewed and matched to established senior design teams(of 4-6 students) who are participating in BioE401 (bioengineering design theory, Fall) or BioE403 (Applied Bioengineering Design, Spring). Together, these teams will work to solve design challenges that are relevant to the field of bioengineering, while undertaking an undergraduate learning/mentoring experience. Both the freshmen and the seniors will use this CI experience to tackle open-ended design challenges that involve integrating and synthesizing ideas towards solutions to real-world problems. Teams may interact with industry or clinical partners. It is hoped that the innovative use of Creative Inquiry to pair freshmen and seniors into teams that work to solve design challenges will enhance the education experience for all students.
Zero Gravity, Biomedical Design for microgravity (NASA) (2014-2015)
Are you ready to LAUNCH your ideas into orbit??? What are the future design challenges of human space exploration? Join this exciting new Bioengineering CI program and see your design take flight.
The Bioengineering department is partnering with NASA to begin designing solutions to challenges that NASA has outlined in its Human Research Roadmap. This Creative Inquiry (CI) team will work on the design and development of devices in the realm of the unique challenges encountered in zero gravity (microgravity). Exemplary projects related to explorations missions included: “We do not have the capability to stabilize bone fractures and accelerate fracture healing during exploration missions”, “We do not have the capability to optimally treat musculoskeletal injuries during exploration missions”, and “We do not have the capability to provide medical suction and fluid containment during exploration missions.”
BioE 8140: Medical Device Commercialization
(Co-instructor, Fall 2014)
This course provides an overview of design control and regulations for medical device and their practical application in the scope of project management and commercialization. Introduction to a cross disciplinary approach for launching and marketing a new device, including device lifecycle management and intellectual property laws relative to the medical device industry.
IS 2100 Selected topics/international studies
(Summer 2015)
Topics in cross-cultural awareness and intercultural communications are studied in situ as part of a study abroad program. Addresses the impact of culture on behavior in intercultural contact in professional and personal contexts. May be repeated for a maximum of six credits, but only if different topics are covered.
ME 2010 Statics and Dynamics for Mechanical Engineers 5 (3)
Vector analysis of the effects of forces, couples, and force-systems on rigid bodies. Conditions of static equilibrium for simple structures, including pulleys, trusses, beams, frames. Kinematics and kinetics of general rigid body motion in 2-D. Applications of Newton’s laws, energy methods, and impulse momentum methods to simple machine elements.
ME 3070 Foundations of Mechanical Systems 3 (3)
Introduction to physical elements and mechanisms that define basic mechanical engineering systems. Application of kinematic and kinetic analysis to mechanisms and the role of design in mechanisms
ME 4020 Internship in Engineering Design 3 (1)
Creative application of general engineering knowledge in solving an open-ended design problem provided by a sponsor typically external to the University. Progress is evaluated by a faculty jury. Students present results to the jury and sponsor through written reports and oral presentations addressing University written/oral competency goals.
ME 2040 Mechanics of Materials 3 (3)
Relationships between external loads on solid bodies or members and the resulting internal effects and dimension changes, including the derivation of rational formulas for stresses and deformations and the identification and use of important mechanical properties of engineering materials.
