Noted bio-engineer and researcher, Leigh R. Abts, Ph.D.,
joins the university's College of Education

Abts to develop, implement initiatives to improve student access to STEM education opportunities

Leigh Abts

COLLEGE PARK, MD (March 2006) – Dr. Leigh R. Abts joined the University of Maryland on February 18, 2007. While his home appointment is with the College of Education, he will also be an affiliate professor with the A. James Clark School of Engineering.

Abts comes to Maryland from the School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, where he held prior appointments as a Principal Research Scientist in computer science and in the advance technology laboratory, among other positions. Abts is leading efforts to develop a Pre-AP and an Advanced Placement (AP) program in engineering. He also will continue his work as principal investigator on several National Science Foundation (NSF) grants including projects related to Research Experiences for Teachers in Higher Education Laboratories and outreach to Native American, Urban and Blind students and teachers.

"We are pleased to welcome Leigh to the university and are very excited about the expertise he will bring to our STEM initiatives," said Dennis M. Kivlighan, Jr., interim dean of the College of Education. "In addition to his prodigious research portfolio, his work as head of the national effort to create an AP in Engineering course for American high schools is a strong match with the college's emphasis in expanding access to education by underrepresented minority students."

Abts earned his Sc.B. from Brown University in biology in engineering, and went on to earn his Ph.D. in bio-medical engineering, also from Brown University. He has held various appointments and led several projects at Johns Hopkins beginning in 2000. He was the Executive Director of the NSF Engineering Research Center for Computer Integrated Surgical Systems and Technology (CISST)—a joint effort between Johns Hopkins, Carnegie Mellon, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and affiliated medical institutions.

"While it is somewhat unusual to appoint a bio-engineer within a College of Education, Leigh adds to our capacity to bring our STEM-related initiatives to national attention," Kivlighan said. "This reflects the changes that will be needed to bring a STEM perspective to bear on K-12 education."

A noted inventor, entrepreneur and scientist, Abts has founded or co-founded companies that have been acquired by Fortune 100 companies and has managed inter-disciplinary teams in computer integrated surgery, education, venture capital, process control, and disease management.