Jennifer S. Wayne, department head and professor of biomedical engineering and mechanics at Virginia Tech, has been elected fellow of the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS). Fellows are selected due to exemplary service and leadership, their achievements and knowledge, and their research contributions in the musculoskeletal field.

Wayne has demonstrated exceptional achievements throughout her career in engineering. She joined Virginia Tech’s biomedical engineering and mechanics department as the department head in 2019. She came to Virginia Tech from Virginia Commonwealth University, where she had been a faculty member in VCU’s engineering and orthopaedic surgery departments since 1991 and had served as the associate chair of biomedical engineering.

Wayne led the Orthopaedic Research Laboratory at VCU. Her research in musculoskeletal biomechanics focuses on experimental, computational, and theoretical models for consequences of injury and efficacy of injury treatment methods and surgical procedures. In particular, she has contributed to advancing the training of graduate, undergraduate students, and orthopaedic residents and fellows, and informing clinical and surgical practice.

“It is truly an honor to be a fellow of the Orthopaedic Research Society,” Wayne said. “I have been involved with the society since graduate school and have been fortunate to engage with tremendously innovative investigators working to improve musculoskeletal health.”  

Wayne has received numerous awards recognizing her research, service, and other accomplishments throughout her career thus far. In 2019, she became the first female recipient of the H.R. Lissner Medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, recognized for her outstanding achievements in bioengineering. She was recognized as an ASME Fellow in 2007 and as an American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering Fellow in 2004. She has served on a multitude of committees, including her current service as an ABET commissioner for the Engineering Accreditation Commission.

Wayne is a Virginia Tech alumna, having earned her bachelor’s degree in engineering science and mechanics, summa cum laude. She received her master’s degree in biomedical engineering from Tulane University and a Ph.D. in bioengineering from the University of California, San Diego.

-Written by Laura McWhinney

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