News Release

UTSA engineering dean C. Mauli Agrawal receives award from Society for Biomaterials

Agrawal's 25 years of service to orthopedic and cardiovascular biomaterials recognized internationally

Grant and Award Announcement

University of Texas at San Antonio

C. Mauli Agrawal, David and Jennifer Spencer Distinguished Chair for the Dean of Engineering and Peter Flawn Professor in Biomedical Engineering at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), has been selected as the sole recipient of the Society for Biomaterials (SFB) 2013 Award for Service. The award honors Agrawal's significant service to the SFB in establishing, developing, maintaining and promoting its objectives and goals and the field of biomaterials.

He will be recognized at the society's annual meeting in Boston, Mass., April 10-13.

"It is truly an honor to receive this international recognition," says Agrawal. "I was fortunate to enter the field of biomaterials when some of the pioneers who changed the practice of medicine through revolutionary implants were still active. I have been privileged to learn from them and pass on the tradition to younger generations. This has made my 25 years in the field very fulfilling."

Agrawal specializes in the area of orthopedic and cardiovascular biomaterials. His work in these fields has resulted in several patents, many of which have been licensed to commercial entities. His lab is currently investigating tissue engineering approaches to treat aortic aneurysms, developing new technologies for drug eluting stents, exploring some revolutionary techniques for preventing blood loss related to battlefield injuries, and developing stent based micro-thin implantable blood pressure sensors.

Lynne Jones of Johns Hopkins University and chair of the Society for Biomaterials Awards, Ceremonies and Nominations Committee says, "Dr. Agrawal's service to the Society for Biomaterials has been demonstrated in many ways across many years. It is a pleasure to recognize his many contributions to the SFB."

During his professional career, Agrawal has been the recipient of several honors and awards, and has authored more than 300 scientific publications, four scientific books, and has established more than a dozen patents. He is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, an honor reserved for those in the top two percent of the medical and biological engineering field. In 2010, he was awarded the distinguished BioMed SA's Julio Palmaz Award for Innovation in Healthcare and the Biosciences.

He was elected president of the Society for Biomaterials in 2006 and served as the chair of its Annual Scientific Meeting in 2001. Additionally, he is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Sigma XI Society, Biomedical Engineering Society and the Engineering Deans' Council. He also serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research, Journal of Biomedical Materials Research (Applied Biomaterials), Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, and IEEE Systems of Systems.

Agrawal earned his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur, India, his master's degree in mechanical engineering from Clemson University, and his Ph.D. in materials science from Duke University.

Agrawal came to San Antonio in 1991 for a position as assistant professor of orthopaedics and director of orthopaedic biomaterals at The University of Texas Health Science Center. In 2003 he joined the UTSA College of Engineering as associate dean for research and was appointed dean in 2005. He established the department of biomedical engineering at UTSA as well as led the effort to establish the joint biomedical program between UTSA and the UT Health Science Center, the Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute, the Center for Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship and the Interactive Technology Experience Center (iTEC).

Under Agrawal's leadership, the college's annual research expenditures have increased dramatically from $1 million to $14 million, he has recruited faculty from top universities across the world, and student enrollment has nearly doubled, putting UTSA on the map as the fastest growing engineering program in the state.

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The Society for Biomaterials is the world's premier professional organizations for implants and biomaterials with members from more than 25 countries. For more information, visit http://www.biomaterials.org.

Nationally ranked and recognized, UTSA College of Engineering provides world-class education and research opportunities to the region's multicultural community, to the nation and beyond. The college offers 16 different graduate and undergraduate degrees to its 2,500 students within the departments of biomedical, civil and environmental, electrical and computer, and mechanical engineering and is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. For more information, visit http://www.engineering.utsa.edu.

About UTSA

The University of Texas at San Antonio is one of the largest of nine academic universities and six health institutions in the UT System. As a multicultural institution, UTSA aims to be a national research university providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.

UTSA serves nearly 31,000 students in 135 degree programs in the colleges of Architecture, Business, Education and Human Development, Engineering, Honors, Liberal and Fine Arts, Public Policy, Sciences and Graduate School. Founded in 1969, UTSA is an intellectual and creative resource center and a socioeconomic development catalyst for Texas and beyond. For more information, visit UTSA online at http://www.utsa.edu and on Twitter @UTSANews.


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