Conrad Zapanta Named College of Engineering Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies
Media Inquiries
Conrad Zapanta(opens in new window), a teaching professor in the Carnegie Mellon University Department of Biomedical Engineering(opens in new window) (BME), has been appointed the new associate dean for Undergraduate Studies, effective July 1, 2022. He succeeds Annette Jacobson(opens in new window), who will retire this month.
In his new role, Zapanta will continue work he began as a Carnegie Mellon undergraduate head orientation counselor(opens in new window) — a supervising counselor whose job it was to welcome new students to campus.
The 1990 head orientation counselors brought the first-year program from rural, woodsy, campsite cabins back to the Pittsburgh campus. Top Row: Debbie Jacobs Cohn and Maggie O'Toole; Bottom Row: Judy Grossman, Conrad Zapanta and Janet Ertel Gess.
In addition to his student leadership experience, Zapanta has been a BME faculty member since 2006 and associate department head of education since 2009. He is a trusted academic advisor to numerous student groups and athletic teams.
Zapanta will oversee the first-year program for engineering students.
As associate department head of education, he has also overseen all aspects of BME undergraduate and graduate curriculum, administered undergraduate research programs, assisted with departmental special events, and supported student recruitment efforts.
He has extensive experience with the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accreditation process, having served as a program evaluator and an advisor to CMU engineering faculty in preparation for ABET visits and reviews. He recently worked with Dean Bill Sanders(opens in new window) and Associate Deans Alaine Allen(opens in new window) and Annette Jacobson to prepare CMU's response on how DEI requirements should be added to existing ABET criteria.
His research interests are in cardiovascular medical devices and engineering education. He has served as a faculty advisor to dozens of undergraduate, master's, and Ph.D. students; been published in numerous journals and abstracts; served as a reviewer and editorial board member for various publications; presented at symposiums and conferences; and served as principal investigator (PI) or co-PI for more than $4 million in research grants. He has also served on numerous university committees.
Josh, Conrad, Katy, and Elizabeth Zapanta.
Zapanta was named a Fellow for the Biomedical Engineering Society in 2020 and a Fellow for the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering in 2021 in recognition for his contributions to biomedical engineering education. In 2016, he received the Benjamin Richard Teare Teaching Award(opens in new window) from CMU's College of Engineering(opens in new window).
He has held teaching positions at Penn State and Hope College and has consulted for numerous universities on curriculum development, biomedical engineering content and accreditation. In addition, he has worked as a senior research engineer at Sulzer Carbomedics, Inc., and has provided consulting services and expert testimony related to artificial hearts and heart valves.
Zapanta graduated from CMU in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering(opens in new window) (option in biomedical engineering) and received a doctoral degree in bioengineering from Penn State in 1997. His daughter Elizabeth is a current CMU sophomore studying international relations and politics(opens in new window). His son, Josh, who studied mechanical engineering and daughter Katy, who studied drama(opens in new window), both graduated from CMU in May 2022. Zapanta is married to Laura (Schick), also a CMU alumna, who earned her B.S. degree in chemistry(opens in new window) from the Mellon College of Science(opens in new window) in 1989.
Conrad Zapanta
