Engineering Program

As part of our ongoing commitment to interdisciplinary excellence, Brandeis is launching a new interdepartmental program in Engineering Science, which will foster research, education, collaboration and innovation at the interface of engineering, the sciences and the liberal arts.

Brandeis already possesses the core elements to become a leader in engineering research and education, as evidenced by the success of our basic science programs, our NSF-funded Materials Science Research and Engineering Center, and the MakerLab. Our new program will grow these strengths by embedding engineers across our existing departments, seeding and nurturing enduring collaborations with and between Brandeis faculty and students in the sciences, humanities, social sciences, creative arts, business, and social policy.

The School of Arts and Sciences is currently developing a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Science, to be offered by academic year 2026-27. The curriculum is designed for ABET accreditation, and will provide students with the essential skills to think like engineers, and design solutions to complex problems. We will draw inspiration from areas of engineering that align with Brandeis' existing strengths, including bioengineering and materials science, while enhancing our existing undergraduate and graduate programs. Together, we will explore new approaches to issues of ethics, design, equity, sustainability and entrepreneurship, through collaborations, capstone projects, and team-taught courses with faculty from across the university. In the liberal arts tradition, our graduates will be outstanding communicators, writers, and stewards of social justice, and be poised for impactful careers as engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs, policy makers, and more.

Brandeis Engineering will catalyze the university’s mission of advancing knowledge to enhance and enrich the human experience. Our new program will infuse engineering thinking and culture to all facets of our university, transforming our research enterprise and creating a cohort of uniquely Brandeisian engineers who will create sustainable solutions to the great challenges of our time. Beginning in F2023 we will offer introductory engineering courses in preparation for the major's official launch (which is slated for F2026, with our first graduates anticipated in the class of 2030). We encourage current students to take advantage of these new Engineering courses and facilities as they become available. Join us in this exciting endeavor as we shape the future of engineering education at Brandeis!

Students discussing a design in the Brandeis engineering classroom

Introducing Engineering at Brandeis

 

Courses of Instruction

Faculty

Seth Fraden
Seth Fraden
Professor of Physics
Interim Co-Chair of Engineering
(781) 736-2888

Seth Fraden is a Fellow of the American Physics Society, and has been the director of the Brandeis Materials Science Research and Engineering Center since 2011. His research group focuses on four core areas: non-linear chemical dynamics, active matter, microfluidics technology, and colloidal self-assembly. He earned his Ph.D. in Physics from Brandeis University and holds a B.A. in Physics from the University of California, Berkeley.

Jonathan Krones
Jonathan Krones
Associate Professor of Engineering
Pronouns: he/him/his

Jonathan Krones is Brandeis's first professor of engineering. He  came to Brandeis in the summer of 2024 from Boston College, where he helped to launch their new Human-Centered Engineering program in 2021. His research in the field of industrial ecology focuses on environmentally sustainable materials systems with a focus on solid waste management and the circular economy. He holds a Ph.D. in Engineering Systems and an S.B. in Materials Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.S. in Earth Resources Engineering from Columbia University.

Michael Norton has brown hair and wears glasses
Michael Norton
Research Scientist in Physics
Lecturer in Engineering
Abelson 327

Michael Norton is a researcher in the Brandeis Materials Science Research and Engineering Center studying Soft Active Materials. Through modeling and simulation, his research develops means for controlling pattern formation in non-equilibrium materials and living systems. He holds a Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics from the University of Pennsylvania, and B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology. His hobbies of metalworking and sculpture complement his computational focus and inform the hands-on approach he brings to teaching engineering courses.

Avi Rodal
Avital Rodal
Professor of Biology
Interim Co-Chair of Engineering
(781) 736-2459

Avital Rodal is a Senior Investigator in the Brandeis Materials Science Research and Engineering Center. Her research is centered on intracellular transport in the nervous system. She holds a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley, and B.S. degrees in Biology and Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Ben Rogers
W. Ben Rogers
Associate Professor of Physics
Program Chair, Biological Physics
(781) 736-2857

Ben Rogers is leader of the Brandeis Materials Science Research and Engineering Center's “Self-limited assembly” interdisciplinary research group. His research is aimed at uncovering the fundamental physical principles governing dynamic pathways for the self-assembly and self-organization of materials and living systems. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware.

Ian Roy
Ian Roy
Robert I. Mallet Senior Lecturer in Engineering and Business
Executive Director, Brandeis Design and Innovation (BDI)
(781) 736-4608

lan Roy is the Executive Director of Design and Innovation at Brandeis University and has an endowed faculty appointment as the inaugural Robert I. Mallet Senior Lecturer in Engineering and Business. In his staff role he collaborates closely with the Senior Leadership team in the Brandeis Library, and as Faculty he has built and taught classes in Business, Engineering, and Anthropology.

Ian's team, Brandeis Design and Innovation department (BDI), builds and manages maker spaces, emerging technology, and digital scholarship tools across campus. To address the University's growing need to embed technology and digital literacies in teaching, learning and research, BDI provides services that faculty can adopt for class and research usage and students can engage in experiential learning inside and outside of the classroom. The BDI team manages several maker spaces at Brandeis University: The Brandeis MakerLab, The Automation Lab, the Digital Scholarship Lab, the 3D Printer Farm, and the Engineering Classroom.

Undergraduate Departmental Representatives

Vincent Calia=Bogan
Vincent Calia-Bogan
Undergraduate Departmental Representative

Vincent is a senior majoring in Neuroscience and Biology. He's been working for the MakerLab since his first semester, and is thrilled to be helping build up Brandeis Engineering for future students. Vincent is a computational neuroscience and data analysis fellow in the Katz lab, which studies neural ensemble dynamics, primarily in Gustatory Cortex (GC). His thesis research is focused on understanding differences in state and intra-state dynamics in GC in awake rodents during taste processing. Outside the lab, Vincent is a member of the E-board for Deis Robotics (he's involved in combat robotics, driving Drumblbee at NHRL), an Engineering TA, emeritus project manager of DeisHacks, and a violinist with the Brandeis-Wellesley Orchestra. He hopes to pursue an MD/PhD in neuroscience, and is interested in the intersection between neuroscience and electrical engineering.

Feel free to reach out to Vincent to chat about engineering, neuroscience, music, combat robotics, cooking, or chatting in general. He loves to work with students, and is always excited to help turn ideas into reality at the MakerLab.

Brandeis Engineering in the News

December 10, 2024

"Building a Different Kind of Engineer." 2024. Brandeis Magazine, Winter 2024/2025. https://www.brandeis.edu/magazine/2025/winter/impact/engineering.html

March 25, 2024

Koziol, Michael. 2024. "How to Boot Up a New Engineering Program: Brandeis University aims to boost its STEM street cred." IEEE Spectrum, 25 March. https://spectrum.ieee.org/brandeis-university-engineering

December 22, 2023

Goodman, Lawrence. 2023. "Engineering the Future at Brandeis." Brandeis Magazine, Winter 2023/2024. https://www.brandeis.edu/magazine/2024/winter/inquiry/engineering-the-future-at-brandeis.html