Professor
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Raj R. Rao, Ph.D. is Professor of Biomedical Engineering in the College of Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. His research interests are in the broad area of cellular engineering that utilize interdisciplinary approaches towards better understanding of stem cell fate in the context of regenerative biomedical therapies. His research and educational efforts have contributed to 60+ journal articles, book chapters and conference proceedings; 100+ conference abstracts; and 80+ invited lectures. He is committed to integration of research and education and is actively involved in the dissemination of scientific expertise through organization of training workshops and development of educational modules for K-12 students and the public. He also actively coordinates with community partners to promote student entrepreneurship and service learning.
He currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Biological Engineering, a BMC-Springer Nature publication, and holds memberships in AAAS, AHA, BMES, IBE, ASEE and AIChE. Awards and Honors include the NSF-CAREER, Qimonda Professorship, Billingsley Professorship, VCU Engineering Student Council Outstanding Professor Award, IBE Presidential Citation for Distinguished Service, UA Honors College Distinguished Leadership Award and UA Office of Nationally Competitive Awards Outstanding Mentor Recognition. He was selected to serve as a UA Chancellor’s Fellow in 2019; as an ABET Program Evaluator for the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES); and an elected member of the BMES Education Committee. He was elected as a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) in 2021 and Fellow of Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) in 2022; and served as the President of the Institute of Biological Engineering (2022-2023).