Professor Jessica Wagenseil has been appointed the next Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering in the John and Marcia Price College of Engineering. She will join the University of Utah on July 1, 2026.
Wagenseil brings to Utah an outstanding record of scholarship, leadership, and mentorship. She is currently a professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at Washington University in St. Louis, where her research focuses on vascular biomechanics and mechanobiology, particularly how mechanical forces and extracellular matrix biology influence diseases of the large arteries, such as thoracic aortic aneurysms and supravalvular aortic stenosis. She is also the Vice Dean for Faculty Advancement at the McKelvey School of Engineering.
Her research program has advanced understanding of cardiovascular disease and has been supported by competitive federal and private funding, including grants from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, American Heart Association, and the Marfan Foundation. She is widely recognized for her contributions to biomedical engineering and is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), a Fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), and a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). She received the American Society for Matrix Biology Renato Iozzo Award for Outstanding Research in Matrix Biology. She is also an award-winning educator, having received the Emerson Teaching Award at Washington University.
Equally important, Wagenseil is deeply committed to mentoring students and fostering a collaborative and supportive academic culture. Her teaching and mentoring philosophy emphasizes engagement, regular interaction, and a research environment where students and trainees can develop independence and confidence as scholars.
As Chair, Wagenseil will play a key role in strengthening the Department of Biomedical Engineering’s culture of excellence, supporting faculty and student success, and expanding the department’s collaborative partnerships across engineering, medicine, and the health sciences.