Walter Lee Murfee, Ph.D., professor and associate chair for undergraduate studies in the University of Florida’s J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, has been named the recipient of the 2024–25 Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering Faculty Award for Excellence in Leadership.
Murfee’s leadership is defined by a deep commitment to student success, inclusive education, and collaborative innovation. His impact extends across UF and the broader biomedical engineering community, where he is known for his advocacy, mentorship and visionary approach to academic leadership.
In his role as associate chair, Murfee has transformed the undergraduate program by expanding student opportunities and guiding the department through key milestones, including ABET re-accreditation. He developed two departmental summer programs: the BME Research Internship Program and the BME Summer Clinician Immersion Design Program, which together create more than 20 research and clinical design opportunities for undergraduate students annually. He also restructured the capstone senior design experience and renovated the department’s maker space, benefitting more than 200 students each year.
Murfee’s service record includes chairing the department’s research committee and organizing its annual Pruitt Research Day. He is also the principal investigator of a five-year NIH R25 grant aimed at integrating design thinking and peer-to-peer learning into clinical immersion experiences.
Beyond UF, Murfee’s leadership spans the national biomedical engineering landscape. He has served as president of both the Alpha Eta Mu Beta (AEMB) International Biomedical Engineering Honor Society and the Microcirculatory Society. He is currently the editor-in-chief of Microcirculation and has held editorial roles with several journals including Microvascular Research and Frontiers in Physiology – Cell Physiology. He has reviewed grants for the NIH and American Heart Association, co-chaired an AHA review committee, and participated in numerous international scientific advisory panels.
A distinguished researcher, Murfee has authored more than 85 publications and delivered over 120 conference presentations and 65 invited talks. His work explores the intersection of biomedical engineering, physiology, and vascular biology, and has included more than 35 collaborations across 25 institutions.
In the classroom, Murfee has earned consistently high marks from students and was honored with the department’s teaching excellence award. His teaching philosophy emphasizes critical thinking and design-centered problem solving. As of Fall 2024, he earned an instructor rating of 4.67 out of 5, with 93 percent of student responses rating his instruction as “excellent.” His mentorship extends well beyond the classroom, from career guidance to running workshops that help first-year graduate students prepare for comprehensive exams.