© American Society for Engineering Education, 2008

In 2003, the National Science Foundation awarded a large private urban research university funds to create an Engineering Research Center (ERC)- a center dedicated to the coordination of groundbreaking research in the development of biomimetic devices. The ERC brings physicians, biologists, engineers and educators together to develop microelectronic systems that interact with living, human tissues. The resulting technology enables implantable and portable devices that can treat presently incurable diseases such as blindness, loss of neuromuscular control, paralysis, and the loss of cognitive function. The researchers focus on mixed signal systems on chip, power and data management, intelligent analog circuits, interface technology at the nano- and micro-scales to integrate microelectronic systems with neurons, and new materials designed to prevent rejection. The ERC has a significantly reformed engineering education effort with foci on undergraduate and graduate engineering with a BME application focus. These reform efforts combine the collaborative expertise of the university’s school of engineering, a school of medicine and a school of education. The engineering educational reform efforts combine undergraduate and graduate coursework with comprehensive, innovative, and multidisciplinar