Michele Grimm, Ph.D.

Michele Grimm joined the University at Albany in August 2022 as Dean of the College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering. Prior to joining UAlbany, she was the Wielenga Creative Engineering Endowed Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering at Michigan State University. She previously spent 25 years at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI, where she established the undergraduate and graduate programs in biomedical engineering as well as the Department of Biomedical Engineering.

From 2016 through 2019, Michele served as Program Director for three programs within the Engineering Directorate: Disability and Rehabilitation Engineering (DARE), Engineering of Biomedical Systems (EBMS) and Biomechanics and Mechanobiology (BMMB). She is an elected Fellow in the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES).

Title: Building Community Partnerships for Convergent Education and Research

Abstract: As engineers, we are taught to include “user needs” in our designs – but we are rarely expected to actually talk to user groups in order to do this. As scientists, we may develop a research question in consultation with experts from another domain of knowledge – but most often we still work within our academic silos when trying to identify new directions or opportunities. And as STEM educators, we claim that our classes and programs are preparing students for their professional paths – but we rarely interface with the outside world to determine if we are on the right track or if we have been successful. Even if we identify as being involved in multidisciplinary research, design, or education – a typical claim as a biomedical engineer – we often miss an opportunity to connect with all of the groups that can fully inform and optimize our solutions. We often fall short of a convergent approach to our work.

The idea of convergence – bringing multiple disciplines together to address complex and societally relevant problems – has gained traction over the past few years. The idea is that the sum is greater than the parts – and that it will take multiple perspectives, experiences, and knowledge domains working together in an intentional and integrated manner to advance science and engineering so that these challenges can be addressed. The NSF has indicated that convergent research is driven by a specific and compelling problem – but the characteristics of convergence can also help to identify or refine the problem statement.

This presentation will explore how identifying and building partnerships – especially those that connect us to the community outside of our ivory towers – can support better definitions of the problem as well as provide feedback throughout the research, design, and education processes to improve the success and impact of our work. It will propose a new view of convergence – expanding beyond academic and scientific disciplines to fully connect with the community that will be impacted by our work.