Wichita State adds new department of biomedical engineering

With an eye on improving health care in Kansas, the College of Engineering at Wichita State University has added a new department of biomedical engineering, WSU said in a prepared statement.

The Kansas Board of Regents approved the change in September, along with a name change. WSU will call it a degree in biomedical engineering, rather than bioengineering.

"Given the health care needs of the state, the size and needs of the local healthcare industry, and the emphasis the state has placed on developing healthcare industries, the program is on track to become a nationally ranked program," Royce Bowden, the Engineering College dean, said in the statement.

The college created a degree in bioengineering in 2009. Two things they’ve noticed since – the program grew fast, and appealed to female students, who are underrepresented in engineering, the WSU statement said. Fifty-four percent of biomedical engineering students are female.

This story was originally published October 8, 2014 at 9:27 AM with the headline "Wichita State adds new department of biomedical engineering."