Dr. Conrad Zapanta

Biography

Conrad Zapanta earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering with an option in biomedical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 1991 and completed his doctorate in bioengineering at Penn State University in 1997. He is currently a Teaching Professor and the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies in the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. His past experience includes serving as a visiting professor in engineering at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, and Austin Community College in Austin, Texas. Throughout his academic career, Zapanta has been a faculty member at Penn State University, where his research focused on cardiac assist devices for smaller adults and children. He has worked with Sulzer Carbomedics on the research and development of prosthetic heart valves and has taught laboratory and design classes since joining CMU in 2006. From 2009 to 2022, he served as the associate department head of education in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, overseeing the biomedical engineering curriculum. His research interests include biomedical engineering education and medical devices, reflecting his commitment to improving educational standards and practices in the field. He has held leadership roles in various organizations, including the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs (ASAIO), and has been involved with NIH panels. Zapanta is a Fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). In recognition of his contributions to biomedical engineering education, he received the 2016 ASEE Biomedical Engineering Division’s Theo Pilkington Award.

Research Interests