University senate approved the addition of a bioengineering major in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) Monday afternoon.
The new major will integrate chemistry, biology and mathematics with engineering. Students in the new major will choose from four areas of concentration, including bioinformatics and computational biology, biomedical engineering, bioprocessing and pre-medical studies.
Shashi Lalvani, chair of the paper and chemical engineering department, addressed resources and enrollment concerns that arose during last week's senate meeting.
Several senate members had questioned how Miami's bioengineering program would compete with programs at other universities, especially those with medical schools, such as Wright State University and the University of Cincinnati.
Lalvani said about 45 percent of accredited bioengineering programs do not have a direct link to a medical school.
"Having direct access to a medical school is not essential," Lalvani said.
He also said Miami distinguished itself with its emphasis on giving students a liberal arts education, and that the university's primary competitors are not the University of Cincinnati or Wright State University, but rather the University of Dayton and the Ohio State University.
Senate members also raised concerns about the staff, equipment and other resources needed for the program.
Due to its interdisciplinary nature, the bioengineering major would place demands on departments outside of the chemical engineering department.
"In this time of limited resources, I support your idea but I'm concerned about a new program that is going to require some of our precious resources," art professor Sara Butler said.
William Houk, a physics professor, was also concerned about resources.
"I approve of bioengineering myself, but we have to learn to share the resources we have, and I hope you will pursue vigorously that type of sharing," Houk said.
According to Lalvani, space and supplies are currently earmarked for the bioengineering program. He said one staff member in the paper and chemical engineering department already specializes in bioengineering, and previously planned searches for new faculty will be tailored to meet the demands of the new major.
Lab space has also been earmarked for the program, and outside grants have been secured to fund the hiring of new faculty.
Lalvani also said coordination with other departments has been successful thus far, and an interdisciplinary director would be appointed within the department to work out class needs with other programs.
"It is a challenge to the university to make these resource demands, but we aren't necessarily talking a particularly great challenge in looking at our staff," Provost Jeffrey Herbst said.
Marek Dollar, dean of SEAS, said he anticipates an eventual enrollment of around 200 students in the bioengineering major in about four years, bringing the overall enrollment in the school of engineering from around 850 to around 1,050.
"In our estimate, the best way to move in this direction is through bioengineering," Dollar said. "That is the program in which we have the interest of the students."
