Bioengineering        

Engineering beyond the steering wheel

Faculty

Title: Professor

 

How long have you worked at Kettering University? 14 years and some change.

 

Please provide a brief description of your job: Teaching Mechanical Engineering subjects, conducting research and consulting in my field of choice (crash safety and product design).

 

What made you pursue a job in the bioengineering field? It was a different way (off the beaten path) of applying engineering skills.

Massoud Tavakoli, PhD

Title:  Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering (Kettering University); Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine (Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine); Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine (Michigan State University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine).

 

How long have you worked at Kettering University? 12+ years (I’m also an alumnus: 1982-1987 BSEE; 1989-1992 MS).

 

Please provide a brief description of your job:

In addition to being a “typical” professor at Kettering, I also lead research programs in two basic areas of interest: chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions and various aspects of pulmonary medicine.  More specifically, I study chronic pain and how the central nervous system processes it.  I’m currently doing work on understanding how the brain abnormally interprets pain signals in chronic pain conditions, and how to effectively treat that.  In pulmonary medicine, most of my work is on conditions affecting the muscles of respiration.  My current work in this field is being part of a consortium with Michigan State University and the University of Michigan to study respiratory muscle function in people with spinal cord injuries.

 

Your educational background:  PhD – Michigan State University 1998; MS – GMI Engineering & Management Institute 1992; BS – GMI Engineering & Management Institute 1987.

What made you pursue a job in the bioengineering field?  Personal interest.

Jeff Hargrove, PhD

Title:  Assistant Professor

 

How long have you worked at Kettering University? It will be two years in September (2007).

 

Please provide a brief description of your job:

Overall my goal is to stimulate engineers and science majors to apply biology and the environmental concerns to their co-op jobs and careers. I teach Human Biology, General Biology, Biochemistry, and Industrial Ecology. My lab researches how molecular switches in a cell are unregulated, especially those involved in cancer.

 

Your professional background:

During my PhD thesis my research entailed determining the signals that tell neurons (nerves) how to get from your spinal cord to your muscles.  I have attached my publication record:

 

Kruger R, Aurandt J and Guan KL.  Semaphorin command cells to move out. Nature Reviews: Molecular Cell Biology. 2005 Oct; 6(10): 789-800.

 

Aurandt J and Guan KL. Semaphorin 4D activates the MAPK pathway downstream of plexin-B1. Biochem J. 2005 Sep 28.

 

Li W, Lee J, Vikis HG, Hosino A, Liu G, Aurandt, J. Jiang H, Fearon E, Guan JL, Han M, Rao Y, Hong K, and Guan KL.  Activation of FAK and Src are receptor-proximal events required for netrin signaling. Nature Neuroscience. 2004 Nov;7(11):1213-21.

 

Aurandt J, Vikis HG, Gutkind JS, Ahn N, Guan KL.  The semaphorin receptor plexin-B1 signals through a direct interaction with the Rho-specific nucleotide exchange factor, LARG.  Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002 Sep 17;99(19):12085-90.

 

My goal was to teach at the college level therefore during my thesis work. I participated in my class entitled “Preparing future faculty in the Sciences.”   This project aided in the development of my active learning teaching style.

 

Your educational background:

Ph.D. Biological Chemistry,

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 2005

Dissertation: Signaling Downstream of the Axon Guidance Receptor, Plexin-B1

Advisor: Dr. Kun-Liang Guan

 

B.S. Chemistry, Emphasis in Biochemistry, Minor in Biology,

Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, 2000

 

What made you pursue a job in the bioengineering field?

Biology is my life and yours!  So I have always pursued a career in biology and biochemistry.

Jennifer Lynn Aurandt, PhD

Title: Associate Professor Mechanical Engineering

 

How long have you worked at Kettering University? 9 years

 

Please provide a brief description of your job: Teaching, research, committee participant.

 

Your professional background: Graduated Kettering University 1991, worked at Takata, then completed a masters degree and PhD at MSU.

 

Your educational background: See above

 

What made you pursue a job in the bioengineering field? I wanted to use engineering skills to help people.

Patrick Atkinson, PhD