In this episode of Office Hours with Liz Wayne, Liz sits down with longtime BMES member and leader Michael King, E.D. Butcher Professor of Bioengineering at Rice University, to explore the evolving role of professional societies in biomedical engineering. From his first BMES Annual Meeting in 2000 to serving in major leadership roles, King reflects on how conferences, mentorship, networking, and community have shaped his career and why these spaces remain essential for students, researchers, and faculty alike.
Together, they discuss how BMES has grown over the years, the balance between in-person and virtual engagement, the importance of supporting early-career scientists, and the challenges professional societies face in a rapidly changing academic landscape. The conversation also touches on leadership, scientific advocacy, and what the future of bioengineering communities could look like as technology and culture continue to evolve.
Office Hours: Episode 8
Why Professional Societies Matter in Biomedical Engineering —
A Conversation with Dr. Michael King
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Dr. Liz Wayne, Office Hours Host & Assistant Professor at University of Washington; Dr. Michael King, this month's guest, E.D. Butcher Professor of Bioengineering at Rice University, Associate Vice President for Research, and Special Advisor to the Provost on Life Science Collaborations with the Texas Medical Center
Episode Extras
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Learn More About Dr. Michael King
Dr. Michael R. King is the E.D. Butcher Professor of Bioengineering at Rice University, Associate Vice President for Research, and Special Advisor to the Provost on Life Science Collaborations with the Texas Medical Center. He is also a Scholar of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). Previously, King was the J. Lawrence Wilson Professor and Department Chair of Biomedical Engineering at Vanderbilt University, and before that was the Daljit S. and Elaine Sarkaria Professor at Cornell University. He started his faculty career at the University of Rochester. He has written textbooks on the subjects of statistical methods and microchannel flows, and has received several awards including the NSF CAREER Award, Outstanding Research Awards from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Society of Clinical Chemistry, and the Christopher Jacobs Award for Excellence in Leadership. King is a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering (IAMBE), American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), and served as founding Vice President of the International Society of Bionic Engineering. He served as Editor-in-Chief of Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering, an official journal of the BMES. He also previously served as Chair of the BME Council of Chairs, and Chair of the AIMBE College of Fellows, and is currently the President-Elect of AIMBE.
Links to Dr. Michael King's Work
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Read the Transcript
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