UW Bioengineering Associate Professors Wendy Thomas and Daniel Ratner have received 2016 UW College of Engineering Awards. The awardees will be recognized at a reception on Thursday, May 12 in the HUB North Ballroom.
Dr. Thomas, a UW BioE Ph.D. alumna (2003) and faculty member since 2004, received the Faculty Award for Teaching. This award recognizes innovative and lasting contributions to engineering education, such as effective curriculum and teaching, enhancing participation of underrepresented groups and connecting the education experience with the professional practice of engineering. Awardees also demonstrate outstanding commitment to students, both in and outside the classroom.
Dr. Thomas studies regulation of biological adhesion, and her research focuses on the biophysics of catch bonds involved in blood clotting and in bacterial infections. She is developing new smart medical adhesives by utilizing biological adhesive molecules that can be triggered to bind or dissociate, as well as instruments for studying the biophysics of adhesive molecules involved in infection and thrombosis.
Dr. Ratner, a BioE faculty member since 2007, received the Dean’s Award and was nominated for the Faculty Award for Teaching. The Dean’s Award is granted at the discretion of the Dean of the College of Engineering. No nominations are accepted for this award. Recipients are chosen for demonstrating extraordinary accomplishments and/or significant contributions to their department(s) and the College of Engineering.
Dr. Ratner investigates the role of carbohydrates in the body, and how they can be utilized to develop new drugs and drug delivery mechanisms. His research interests include glycotechnology, surface modification/characterization, host-pathogen interactions and global health.
Many other BioE faculty, students and staff were nominated for 2016 COE Awards, including Deok-Ho Kim (Award for Junior Faculty), David Castner (Faculty Award for Research), Anna Blakney and Krittika D’Silva (Student Award for Research), and Kelli Jayn Nichols and Jill Pfaendtner (Award for Professional Staff).