New Professors Bolster School's Strengths in Microscale and Biomedical Engineering

Irvine, Calif., Sept. 3, 2002 -- The UC Irvine Henry Samueli School of Engineering's hiring drive continued with the recent recruitment of three full professors -- Marc J. Madou, William C. Tang and Abraham P. Lee -- acknowledged leaders in the areas of microscale/nanoscale device development and biomedical engineering.

Marc J. Madou

Author of the textbook considered the bible for microscale research, "Fundamentals of Microfabrication," Madou joined the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in August. He comes from the San Diego company Nanogen, where he was vice president of advanced technology. Founder of several microtech companies, including ChipRX and Teknekron Sensor Development Corp., Madou also has worked in academia, most recently at Ohio State University.

Madou's recent research projects include a compact disc to conduct medical tests. Through a series of tiny reservoirs and channels, doctors might one day run medical tests with Madou's novel CD by popping it into an ordinary CD player. The professor also is creating an implantable "smart pill" to offer customized drug delivery. For example, a smart pill designed for a diabetic would use unique biosensors to diagnose and react to low glucose levels by opening tiny chambers of insulin until the glucose levels reached normal.

Madou comes to the school with the designation of Chancellor's Professor, a title reserved for faculty who have achieved acclaim for their accomplishments and who are likely to continue producing notable achievements in scholarship. He received a doctoral degree in semiconductor electrochemistry at the Solid-State Physics Laboratory at the Rijksuniversiteit in Ghent, Belgium.

William C. Tang

Tang, who most recently led the expansion of micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) programs at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), joined the Department of Biomedical Engineering in July. Tang works to engineer complex microdevices for use in spacecraft and automobiles, including miniscule crash sensors he created and patented while working for Ford Motor Company. His thesis on the microfabricated electrostatic comb drive, a motor-like technology he also patented, is one of the most widely cited papers in the field, a key indicator of a scientist's impact.

Tang's career also includes a stint leading the MEMS program at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab at Caltech. He earned a doctoral degree in electrical engineering and computer sciences from UC Berkeley.

Abraham P. Lee

Lee, who comes from the National Cancer Institute and DARPA, joined the Department of Biomedical Engineering earlier this year. Lee works to create microdevices that offer a minimally invasive alternative to conventional methods for diagnosing and treating human disease. The millimeter-sized mechanism he developed to patch brain aneurysms won a Federal Laboratory Consortium award for excellence in technology transfer and is in the process of being commercialized. He currently is working on a thumbnail-sized microchip that could be customized to conduct various biochemical lab tests on the fly.

Lee holds a doctoral degree in mechanical engineering from UC Berkeley, where he and Tang met more than a decade ago.

The new hires come on the heels of the recruitment of world-renowned aerospace expert, Satya Atluri, who holds the newly created position of Henry Samueli "von Karman" Chair in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Last year, the school hired earthquake expert Masanobu Shinozuka to chair the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Since the summer of 2001, the number of engineering faculty has jumped from 70 to 88.

The Henry Samueli School of Engineering encompasses five departments: biomedical engineering, civil and environmental engineering, chemical engineering and materials science, electrical and computer engineering and mechanical and aerospace engineering. The school also is home to numerous research centers, including the Center for Pervasive Communications, National Fuel Cell Research Center and Center for Biomedical Engineering.