After the completion of a nationwide search, Mechanical Engineering Professor Robert Guldberg has been named the new director of The Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB) at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Guldberg, who currently serves as IBB associate director, will assume duties as director on November 1.

"We're thrilled that Bob Guldberg has accepted this appointment," said Senior Vice Provost for Research and Innovation Mark Allen. "We had an enormous amount of interest and we attracted candidates of the highest caliber. He has thorough grounding in IBB and a great understanding of where it needs to go strategically in the next few years."

Guldberg first joined the faculty ranks at Georgia Tech in 1996, serving both in IBB and the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. He was appointed associate director of IBB in 2004.

"It is a great honor to be asked to serve as the next director of the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience," said Guldberg. "IBB's original mission when it was launched in 1995 was to be a vehicle for accelerating Georgia Tech's move into bio-related research. This was an incredibly successful experiment made possible by the generous support of alumnus Pete Petit and the vision and dedicated efforts of IBB's founding director Bob Nerem and other leaders on campus."

When first launched in 1995, the mission of IBB was to create an awareness of bioengineering and bioscience on the Georgia Tech campus. With the Institute now fully established, Guldberg said IBB is now "positioned to have an even greater impact by serving as the heart of the broader Georgia Tech bioscience and bioengineering community and an international model for interdisciplinary research and education."

Guldberg succeeds Mechanical Engineering Professor Robert Nerem in the role of director. Nerem has served in this leadership role at IBB since its inception. Nerem will continue contributing to promising research goals, along with fostering Georgia Tech's evolving relationship with Emory University in the field of bioengineering.

"I believe Bob [Guldberg] has the right set of skills to take the Petit Institute to the next level," said Nerem. "He certainly will have my full support."

"As for me, I will turn my attention and energies to continuing to build our regenerative medicine research program through our joint Georgia Tech/Emory Center (GTEC). This includes expanding our efforts in stem cell technology. I also hope to help build further bridges between Georgia Tech and Emory University, as I believe Emory will in the future become an even more important partner with Georgia Tech."

Guldberg received his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering, his masters in bioengineering/mechanical engineering and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan.

The rich promise that IBB poses in such areas as regenerative medicine, stem cell research and cancer fighting drugs has Guldberg enthused about the future of the Institute and the research that develops.

"Through leadership in addressing the challenges of translational research in addition to new collaborative programs and facilities, IBB will bring scientists and engineers together to work towards creative solutions to important scientific and societal problems," Guldberg said. "This is a great opportunity and I am tremendously excited to start this new chapter in the life of IBB."