Steven J. Bares, PhD, MBA, Named Interim Director for School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, January 29, 2008 -

Steve J. Schwab, MD, executive dean and Memphis campus dean for the College of Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, has named Steven J. Bares, PhD, MBA, interim director for the School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging (BME&I). The recently elevated School of BME&I was previously a department in the College of Medicine (COM) on the Memphis campus of UT Health Science Center (UTHSC).

As interim director of the school, Dr. Bares will oversee nine faculty members and an average of 25 graduate students enrolled per semester. He will report directly to Dr. Schwab.

While serving as interim director, Dr. Bares will continue in his position as president and executive director of the Memphis Bioworks Foundation.

“We are grateful that Dr. Bares has agreed to undertake this challenge,” Dr. Schwab said. “He has the unique blend of science, education and business experience to position the school for future growth.”

“I am excited about this challenge and this opportunity to have a meaningful impact on what I believe is one of the most important areas of higher education for our region,” said Dr. Bares. “Success here will be a key measure of success for the Memphis Bioworks Foundation as we develop the infrastructure, grow the workforce and promote entrepreneurship in the biosciences in Memphis. This is a natural fit and extension to the overall work of the Foundation and will ensure even more interaction between the Foundation and the university.”

Gary S. Keyes, PhD, UTHSC professor who was acting chair of BME&I since July 2006, will serve as associate director for the School of BME&I. In this capacity he reports to Dr. Bares. The appointments took effect at the beginning of January.

UTHSC and the University of Memphis will continue to offer a joint-degree program in the field of biomedical engineering that allows graduate students to access a broader range of educational opportunities that reflect the expertise of the faculty at both universities. The 12-year collaboration between the two universities is the only joint-degree program of its kind in the state of Tennessee.

Since the inception of the biomedical engineering program at UTHSC in 1989, some 107 MS and PhD degrees have been conferred. About half of those graduates have entered the workforce in the greater Memphis area, while the other half accepted positions throughout the Mid-South region and across the nation. BME&I graduates make significant contributions in the biotechnology industry, as well as in academia and at hospitals.

As the leader of the Memphis Bioworks Foundation since its inception, Dr. Bares has worked to position Memphis to capitalize on the growth of biomedical research and commercialization of life science technologies. Founded in 2001 as a nonprofit, the Memphis Bioworks Foundation leads an unprecedented collaboration of public, private, academic and government organizations aligned behind a common goal. The mission of this alliance is to build upon the bioscience industry already thriving in the Memphis economy and to establish the areas as an internationally recognized center for the development and commercialization of biomedical technology.

Dr. Bares previously served in a series of executive roles at International Paper (IP), the world's largest forest products company. A specialist in management of growth businesses, new product development and marketing, he led the development of more than 15 new technologies at IP from concept through the development cycle to the penetration of consumer and commercial markets.

“Dr. Bares is imminently qualified to assume the responsibility of interim director for the School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging,” observed UTHSC Chancellor Hershel P. Wall, MD. “There are few individuals in our academic health science center who are more respected than Steve. He is a visionary leader in the medical center community. He has worked tirelessly with the leadership in the UTHSC and the Memphis community as president and executive director of the Memphis Bioworks Foundation to build an organization that will transform the development and commercialization of biomedical technology in our scientific community. Steve is a pleasure to work with and a very valuable member of our university family.”

Dr. Bares holds a PhD in physical chemistry, an MBA, and a BS in chemistry. He has authored nine patents, and has published numerous articles. He is also the co-founder of the Memphis Academy of Science and Engineering, Tennessee's first charter school.

The Memphis Bioworks Foundation, a not-for-profit organization, was formed in 2001 to establish the Memphis region as an internationally recognized center for biomedical technology through education, research, job training, and commercialization. Baptist Memorial Health Care donated its property in the Memphis Medical Center to the Foundation for the site of the UT-Baptist Research Park, which serves as the focal point of the city’s biomedical economic development.

As the flagship statewide academic health system, the UT Health Science Center is focused on a four-tier mission of education, research, clinical care and public service, all in support of a single goal: to improve the health of Tennesseans. Offering a broad range of postgraduate training opportunities, the main campus, which includes six colleges, is located in Memphis. UTHSC has additional College of Medicine and College of Pharmacy campus locations in Knoxville and a College of Medicine campus in Chattanooga. For more information, visit www.utmem.edu.