We would like to congratulate Dr. Hans van Oostrom, associate professor and associate chair of the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering Education for his new position as the founding director of the UF Institute for Excellence in Engineering Education.

Under the terms of the Wertheim agreement, University of Florida’s College of Engineering is committed to undertaking an initiative in fostering excellence in engineering education. This initiative will be funded up to $1M using resources to be supplied by the Provost in the coming years as part of the university match to the Wertheim gift. The strategic plan for this initiative will be developed and implemented through the formation of a new academic institute to be known as the UF Institute for Excellence in Engineering Education. The Institute will be tasked with bringing faculty from around the college together to prepare a draft plan to propel educational activities to be among the very best in the nation.

“Dr. van Oostrom has been instrumental in establishing the BME department and with developing the undergraduate program,” said Christine Schmidt, Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at UF. “He has been vital to the success of this department and having him at the college level will only benefit us more.”

Dr. van Oostrom received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands. He serves as chair of the Engineering Faculty Council and was the 2015 Faculty Advisor/Mentor of the Year Awardee at both the college and university levels. His research interests are simulation of human physiology as it pertains to education and enhancing engineering education through teaching and assessing the Attributes of a Gator Engineer.

There will be more information about the plans for this initiative in the coming months.  

Congratulations, Dr. van Oostrom!