North Carolina State University Biomedical Engineer Named College of Engineering Dean

Elizabeth G. Loboa is an acclaimed materials science engineer and researcher, educator and administrator

August 14th, 2015

COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Garnett S. Stokes announced today that Elizabeth G. Loboa, an associate chair and professor of the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University (NCSU), and a professor of materials science and engineering at North Carolina State, has been named dean of the University of Missouri College of Engineering, effective October 15, 2015.

“We are excited to have Elizabeth join the university,” Stokes said. “As a renowned researcher and educator with comprehensive knowledge in biomedical engineering and economic development, as well as a passion for mentoring students, faculty and staff, she is well qualified to lead the College of Engineering at Mizzou.”

At NCSU Loboa helped establish and lead the Cell Mechanics Laboratory (CML), the research center and economic engine that investigates the effects of mechanical, electrical and chemical stimuli on adult stem cell function and differentiation, with the long-term goal of engineering musculoskeletal tissues. At the CML, Loboa led a research team that includes biomedical engineering faculty, research assistants, post-doctoral fellows, graduate students and undergraduate students as well as other industrial and academic collaborators.

“I’m thrilled and honored to have been chosen to lead the College of Engineering as dean,” Loboa said. “The College has a rich history of training the next generation of engineers in a research-filled environment that is focused on advancing technologies here and across the world.  The multidisciplinary environment at Mizzou is truly astounding and provides opportunities for creation and translation of cross-cutting technologies at an unprecedented level.”

At North Carolina State, Loboa holds adjunct faculty positions in the Departments of Fiber and Polymer Science, in physiology and biotechnology. She also holds an appointment in orthopaedics at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Her research has been funded by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and the Nonwovens Cooperative Research Center, a North Carolina-based industry consortium.

“Dr. Loboa’s leadership style is student centric and faculty focused,” Stokes said. “We’re excited to have her here at the College of Engineering which is poised to enter the next level of research innovation and academic leadership at the University of Missouri.”

Founded in 1859, the University of Missouri College of Engineering includes nine disciplines, 103 faculty members and 3,500 undergraduate students. The College includes a variety of research centers, programs and facilities that contribute to MU’s overall annual research and development spending. In her new role as dean, Loboa will provide leadership and strong advocacy for research and education and will be expected to shape the future of the College through continued excellence in research, education and campus diversity.

Loboa is a recipient of the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Award (2005), Sigma Xi Faculty Research Award (2009), UK-US Stem Cell Collaboration Development Award (2009), Stanford University Distinguished Alumni Scholar Award (2010), the NCSU Chancellor’s Innovation Award (2011) and the NCSU Faculty Scholar Award (2012).

Loboa currently serves as an editorial board member of Scientific Reports, Biomedical Materials, Open Orthopaedics Journal, and Tissue Engineering.  She is a member-at-large and board member of the Orthopaedic Research Society. Loboa received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Davis in 1995, a master’s degree in biomechanical engineering in 1997 and a doctorate in mechanical engineering in 2002 from Stanford University.