Jenna Rickus

Dr. Jenna Rickus serves as Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning at Purdue University, where she holds professorships in Agricultural and Biological Engineering and the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, bringing a unique blend of research expertise and educational innovation to her roles. After earning dual BS degrees from Purdue in Agricultural & Biological Engineering and Biochemistry, followed by industry experience at Kraft Foods and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience and Neuroengineering from UCLA, she has established herself as a leading figure in biomedical engineering research and education. Her groundbreaking work spans engineered biomaterials for sensing and actuating living cells and tissues, with applications in brain cancer, type 1 diabetes, foodborne illness, and space biology, supported by prestigious funding from NIH, NSF, USDA, NASA, Army Research Office, and DARPA. As an educational innovator, she founded Purdue's international genetically engineered machine undergraduate research team and has transformed teaching approaches in biological engineering. Her contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including the ASEE Biomedical Engineering Teaching Award and induction into the Purdue Innovator's Hall of Fame, while her research has garnered over 1,700 citations, reflecting her significant impact on both the scientific community and educational landscape