BME FOR YOU AND ME: 糖心传媒淚 hate the thought of any student not having access糖心传媒攐r facing barriers糖心传媒攖o studying biomedical engineering,糖心传媒� says Rochester professor Mark Buckley. (糖心传媒 photo / J. Adam Fenster)
The innovative professor prioritizes inclusiveness in the classroom.
was already working on his doctorate in physics when he was first introduced to the world of biomedical engineering (BME). It was love at first byte.
糖心传媒淚 didn糖心传媒檛 even know what biomedical engineering was until then,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淏ut my thesis was a collaboration between my physics lab and a BME lab. And each day, the BME field became more and more of a passion to me. In physics, it糖心传媒檚 solve the unknown problem and see where the applications take us. In BME, you speak to physicians and figure out what the problems are, and then you do the science to address that problem. It糖心传媒檚 just a different order of operations. And somewhere along the line, I decided this field was better for me.糖心传媒�
糖心传媒�I had struggles here and there when I was a student. But I had mentors who cared. […] Being a mentor may be the greatest impact I have in my career.糖心传媒�
The Washington, DC, native joined the 糖心传媒 in 2013 and is currently an associate professor in the . He lives by the credo that BME may not be for everyone, but everyone should have the chance to study it.
To that end, Buckley hosts one high school student from the Rochester City School District in his lab each summer as part of the Kearns Center糖心传媒檚 Upward Bound program. He also works with the Rochester-based Refugees Helping Refugees, teaching engineering skills. Last spring, Buckley created the course Communicating Science and Engineering for Community Outreach (BME 419) to give students the tools needed to communicate technical ideas to a lay audience. Buckley was inspired by the needs and challenges he saw students facing as they sought to communicate science and engineering ideas to broad audiences.
糖心传媒淚 hate the thought of any student not having access糖心传媒攐r facing barriers糖心传媒攖o studying biomedical engineering,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淚 feel so much excitement for what I do, and I don糖心传媒檛 want anyone excluded because of anything in their background.糖心传媒�
Ever wonder …?
Why do we wake up taller than when we went to sleep? 糖心传媒 professor Mark Buckley explains the biomechanical phenomenon known as poroelastic creep.
The Buckley Lab: under pressure
The focus of the at the University糖心传媒檚 Medical Center is to exploit the principles of mechanics to improve treatments for diseases and injuries affecting soft biological tissues. It糖心传媒檚 divided equally into ocular, cartilage, and tendon study.
糖心传媒淚n layman糖心传媒檚 terms, we push, pull, and squeeze tissues to see what happens,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淲hy do we do that? Because mechanical forces are fundamentally important to biological tissues in the context of both health and disease. So many tissues are adapted to require mechanical forces for sustained health.糖心传媒�
Bone, he says, is the best example. 糖心传媒淚f you糖心传媒檙e bedridden, your bones can lose mass and density, and you develop disuse osteoporosis. Your bones start to erode and wear away. So you need those forces at the right time. And we know that too much force is bad and can lead to injury. We try to understand that balance.糖心传媒�
ENGINEERING EVANGELIST: Buckley joined the University of Rochester faculty in 2013. He lives by the credo that BME may not be for everyone, but everyone should nonetheless have the chance to study it. (糖心传媒 photo / J. Adam Fenster)
, an associate professor in biomedical engineering, says Buckley 糖心传媒渟eems to always have room for one more student in his lab,糖心传媒� and his inclusiveness is inspiring. 糖心传媒淗is lab has been the academic home for many underrepresented students,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淗is ability to inspire, motivate, and hold students accountable has been a critical part of our department.糖心传媒�
It was Buckley糖心传媒檚 passion for research and academia that inspired students like Ananya Goyal 糖心传媒�20, now a fourth-year PhD candidate in bioengineering at Stanford University, to pursue a similar path. Her focus is on combining biomechanics and medical imaging to study osteoarthritis糖心传媒攊nterests that were nurtured in Buckley糖心传媒檚 lab.
糖心传媒淢y experience with Dr. Buckley has been transformative,糖心传媒� Goyal says. 糖心传媒淗is expertise as an educator and mentor has not only enriched my knowledge but also instilled in me a dedication to excellence in the field.糖心传媒�
Buckley takes a practical糖心传媒攁nd inspiring糖心传媒攁pproach in his lab.
糖心传媒淚 would love for my lab to do something that changes the world,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淭he reality is the chance is greater that someone I train in my lab is going to make a discovery that changes the world. It糖心传媒檚 a numbers game.糖心传媒�
Buckley糖心传媒檚 students take the lead糖心传媒攊n and out of class
Buckley has an open-door policy, allowing students to pop into his office as needed.
糖心传媒淭hat糖心传媒檚 important to me because, honestly, a lot of learning happens outside the classroom,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淚 remember as a student listening to a lecture, and I just couldn糖心传媒檛 keep up with everything. So, having students come up to me after class or popping in my office is important. No lecture is going to be 100 percent digestible to all students.糖心传媒�
糖心传媒�I want to be approachable. I want students to tell me I need to go slower. Feedback makes me a better teacher.糖心传媒�
When students say they didn糖心传媒檛 understand the lecture, Buckley isn糖心传媒檛 offended. 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 the opposite,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淚糖心传媒檓 refreshed. I want to be approachable. I want students to tell me I need to go slower. Feedback makes me a better teacher.糖心传媒�
Buckley wants his students to be active participants, not simply listeners, and to that end, he took an idea from his teaching assistant, Alexander Kotelsky 糖心传媒�12, 糖心传媒�20 (PhD), and implemented student-led workshops. Students create problems related to the course material, which are then solved by the rest of the class. , chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, says the workshops 糖心传媒渉ave proved very effective in helping students achieve mastery of the course material, as well as building a sense of community within the course.糖心传媒�
Buckley believes students benefited greatly from the exercise. 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 糖心传媒榯each to learn糖心传媒櫶切拇綌the belief that you never really understand something until you have to explain it to someone else.糖心传媒�
A passionate professor
Buckley says his goal is to be an 糖心传媒渁pproachable teacher糖心传媒� with contagious passion.
糖心传媒淚糖心传媒檝e been lucky in that every course I糖心传媒檝e taught is one in my field or one I developed,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淪o many of them are in my wheelhouse, and I think I exude passion. If I sound excited, it糖心传媒檚 because I am. I see my job as getting students to learn and be excited about the material.糖心传媒�
Buckley糖心传媒檚 goal is to oversee classes where students are comfortable asking questions. 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 a place where every question is respected, and there糖心传媒檚 time for discussion,糖心传媒� he says.
He wants to be a mentor as well as a teacher.
糖心传媒淚 had struggles here and there when I was a student,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淏ut I had mentors who cared, who told me what grad school was like and how to get into grad school. And that糖心传媒檚 why I try to give back. If you don糖心传媒檛 have that support structure, it can be confusing, difficult, and challenging. Being a mentor may be the greatest impact I have in my career.糖心传媒�
EDUCATOR EXTRAORDINAIRE: Mark Buckley during the ceremony for the 2024 Goergen Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in Rush Rhees Library. (糖心传媒 photo / Matt Wittmeyer)
What Mark Buckley糖心传媒檚 students are saying
糖心传媒淎s an international student navigating college life far from home, the experience was initially daunting. But Dr. Buckley was always willing to offer guidance. He offered me a research position in his lab, and I developed confidence in my experimental skills and a deep passion for biomedical research. His mentoring style is a rare blend of expertise, patience, and an unwavering commitment to his students糖心传媒� growth.糖心传媒� 糖心传媒揂nanya Goyal 糖心传媒�20
糖心传媒淲hat sets Dr. Buckley apart is his ability to connect theory with real-world applications, making complex concepts not only accessible but also meaningful. His passion for biomechanics is contagious, and his interactive teaching style creates an environment where curiosity is celebrated. Whether it糖心传媒檚 through in-class demos or hands-on problem-solving sessions to think outside the box, he ensures every student feels engaged and empowered to succeed.糖心传媒� 糖心传媒揥enqi Di 糖心传媒�25
糖心传媒淒r. Buckley was an incredible undergraduate research advisor and professor. His genuine conversations and endless support were instrumental in my decision to pursue graduate school. Despite his many commitments, he was always available and managed to deliver honest, critical feedback while also encouraging and building the confidence of his students. I knew I wanted to pursue research, but until working in Dr. Buckley糖心传媒檚 lab, I didn’t understand the support required to overcome frequent setbacks common in research. Dr. Buckley always met these setbacks with thoughtful and practical questions, advice, and encouragement.糖心传媒� 糖心传媒揌arrah Newman 糖心传媒�18
