The Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) within the College of Engineering and Michigan Medicine at the University of Michigan (UM) invites applications and nominations for the position of Department Chair.

About the Department of Biomedical Engineering

BME is a joint department in the College of Engineering and Michigan Medicine, and ranks amongst the best programs in the United States (#6 and #8 in undergraduate and graduate education, respectively). Our mission is to conduct top-tier innovative translational research from bench to bedside and provide exceptional training and education to future leaders in biomedical engineering with the ultimate goal of solving the important challenges in medicine and life sciences for the benefit of humanity. UM BME is one of the earliest programs in the country and currently has 47 core faculty and more than 120 joint faculty. Our program currently enrolls more than 700 undergraduate and graduate students, working towards a B.S.E. (ABET-accredited), M.S., MEng., Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. Our faculty – through funding from the NIH, NSF, DoD, and industry, as well as internal resources – engage in high impact research across a diverse range of research areas, including biomedical AI and computing; biomechanics and mechanobiology; imaging, ultrasonics & biophotonics, biomedical devices/instruments; immunoengineering; engineering education; regenerative medicine; micro-nanotechnology & molecular engineering; neural engineering; and systems & synthetic biology. BME maintains dozens of collaborations including the Biointerfaces Institute, the Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research (MICHR), Max Harry Weil Institute for Critical Care Research and Innovation, Rogel Cancer Center, Frankel Cardiovascular Center, Kellogg Eye Center, Robotics and many others across our world-class campus. BME’s Coulter Translational Research Partnership Program, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, has achieved $650M in professional funding and supports research focused on advancing promising technologies toward commercial development and clinical practice. Additional collaborations with regional and national healthcare systems, industry leaders, and commercialization centers, such as Michigan’s own Innovation Partnerships, the Center for Entrepreneurship and Fast Forward Medical Innovation, enable faculty and students to impact patient care and health innovation on a global scale. The department’s supportive environment fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and integrates engineering solutions with clinical practice, positioning UM BME at the forefront of research, education, and leadership in biomedical engineering. Please explore the BME website to learn more.

About Michigan Engineering 

Located on the University of Michigan’s North Campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan Engineering’s mission is to educate, innovate, and lead by fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, advancing knowledge, and preparing engineers to solve society’s greatest challenges. As a top-ranked engineering college, all of our graduate and undergraduate programs have a strong reputation for excellence. Michigan Engineering’s graduate and undergraduate programs rank 11th and 5th in the nation, respectively. Our world-renowned faculty are educating visionary leaders and advancing bold discoveries to shape a better world. Michigan Engineering has 13 academic departments and more than $350 million annually in research expenditures, including within several large centers and institutes such as the Biointerfaces Institute and the AI & Digital Health Innovation Center. The College community includes more than 700 instructional and research faculty– including 37 National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Science members– more than 12,000 enrolled students, and boasts more than 100,000 living alumni.

About Michigan Medicine

At Michigan Medicine, we advance health to serve Michigan and the world. We pursue excellence every day in our 12 hospitals and hundreds of clinics statewide, as well as educate the next generation of physicians, health professionals and scientists in our U-M Medical School. 

Michigan Medicine includes the U-M Medical School and University of Michigan Health, which includes the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital, University Hospital, the Frankel Cardiovascular Center, Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan Health-West, University of Michigan-Sparrow and the Rogel Cancer Center. The U-M Medical School is one of the nation’s biomedical research powerhouses, with total research funding of more than $800 million. 

About the University of Michigan

The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor campus is a thriving and productive academic community of over 50,000 students and more than 30,000 faculty members and staff. The University’s research expenditures totaled $2.16 billion in 2025, fueling innovations to address critical challenges. The University of Michigan is a premier public university with numerous top-ten ranked departments, and top-rated Engineering, Medical, Law, and Business programs.

Applying to the Chair Position

Applicants should submit their cover letter, detailed curriculum vitae, research statement, and teaching statement electronically.  In addition, applicants are asked to submit a two-page vision for the department that describes how the candidate will advance the BME program.  Applicants should be prepared to share a list of names and contact information for at least five references upon being shortlisted. 

The deadline for ensuring full consideration of an application is January 31, 2026, but the position will remain open, and applications will continue to be considered until the position is filled. The search will be conducted in confidence until finalists are identified prior to a public campus visit.

Please submit your application here: https://apply.interfolio.com/177129. 

If you have any questions regarding the search process or would like to nominate a candidate, please contact Professor Xudong (Sherman) Fan (xsfan@umich.edu) and Professor David Nordsletten (nordslet@umich.edu), Search Committee Co-Chairs. 

Employment will require both a criminal background check and an institutional reference check regarding any misconduct. Candidates will be required to submit a self-disclosure form as well as an authorization to release information form.

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and is responsive to the needs of dual-career families.

The successful candidate for Department Chair will be a leading world-class scholar with a distinguished track record in biomedical engineering. The candidate should possess an exemplary record of achievement and impact in research, teaching, leadership, and service at a level commensurate with the appointment as a tenured full professor. The candidate should also have a strong vision for the future of biomedical engineering that leverages, and builds on, the strengths of our program at the UM. A key strength of BME at the UM is its position within both the College of Engineering and Michigan Medicine, providing the new chair with a broad network that enables engineering innovation and clinical translation. Key attributes of successful candidates include:

• demonstrated leadership experience at the candidate’s home institution as well as nationally/internationally;
• a strong research track record demonstrated through publications, national/international collaborations, grants and fundraising;
• demonstrated excellence in teaching, with experience in innovating biomedical curricula desirable;
• strong communication and interpersonal skills;
• a Ph.D. in engineering or related fields.