Phil Messersmith, Class of 1941 Memorial Endowed Professor of Bioengineering and Materials Science and Engineering, will take office as the next Chair of the bioengineering department on January 1. He will take over from Interim Chair Dorian Liepmann, who has been filling the role since Sanjay Kumar stepped down to lead QB3 Berkeley in September.
Professor Messersmith is known for his outstanding research in the area of bio-inspired materials that focuses on adhesives, coatings, and new biomaterials for tissue regeneration. He is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and the Royal Society of Chemistry, and he has been awarded over 45 U.S. patents and has started two companies. He has extensive department service experience in graduate admissions and administration and faculty recruitment.
Many thanks to Dorian for his generous service, and welcome to Phil!