College of Engineering Dean Kim Needy has announced the five-year appointment of Jeffrey Wolchok to lead the Department of Biomedical Engineering, which he helped found in 2012 and has led as interim department head for the past two years.

Wolchok, an interdisciplinary researcher, also was recently promoted to professor. The five-year appointment began July 1.

Needy noted Wolchok's success while serving as interim, including hiring numerous faculty and staff, guiding faculty members through the three-year tenure review process and growing external research funding, with the goal of further increasing National Institutes of Health research expenditures.

In addition, Wolchok is working to launch the Arkansas Academy of Biomedical Engineering in the next year to garner additional support for student scholarships and other resources for the department.

"Dr. Wolchok cares deeply for the department, is student-focused, transparent, a good communicator and places the department's best interests at the forefront," Needy said. "He has built a positive culture, and the department is optimistic for the future."

Wolchok completed his Ph.D. in bioengineering from the University of Utah and did post-doctoral work at its Keck Center for Tissue Engineering. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Davis.

Since joining the U of A in 2011, Wolchok has directed an interdisciplinary research program studying the design, development and evaluation of extracellular matrix biomaterials. His research focuses on treatment strategies for damaged muscle, and he has also made discoveries related to traumatic brain injury.

"I am honored and ready to guide the future of the Biomedical Engineering Department," Wolchok said.