H. Pat and Nancy E. Artis Lab

Panoramic view of the biomedical engineering undergraduate Pat Artis Lab

The Artis Lab Opening Celebration was held September 9, 2021. Jennifer S. Wayne, department head and professor in biomedical engineering and mechanics, welcomed everyone and said, "First, I’d like to start off with a bit of history on Pat and Nancy:

Dr. H. Pat Artis graduated with a degree in Engineering Science and Mechanics from Virginia Tech in 1971. He also holds a Masters Degree in Computer Science, a Doctorate in Informatics, and is a graduate of the National Test Pilot School.
His wife, Nancy E. Artis graduated with a degree in Biology from Radford University in 1973, has taught high school science, developed a training center for project management for Metier Systems, and was a national accounts sales manager for both Metier Systems and Oracle Corporation.
Dr. Artis is on the editorial board of the Journal of Computer Systems Science Engineering, is a past president of the Computer Measurement Group, and is a member of the Advisory Committee to the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech.
Prior to his retirement, he was president of Performance Associates Inc., a firm he and Nancy founded in 1986 which concentrated on computer storage performance and replication as well as business continuance.
In addition to his other honors, Dr. Artis received the A.A. Michelson Award in 1984 for his fundamental contributions to computer metrics, was honored as the distinguished alumnus of the College of Engineering in 2008, was inducted into the Academy of Engineering Excellence in 2010 for meritorious lifetime achievements and contributions to engineering, and received the Sporn Award in 2017 for outstanding undergraduate teaching in the Virginia Tech College of Engineering.

As friends of many in Virginia Tech's College of Engineering, Pat and Nancy's selfless generosity help countless students complete their educational journey. The successful completion of the biomedical engineering undergraduate degree would not be possible without the creation of this lab and the support of Pat and Nancy."

Jennifer Wayne, BEAM department head, on the left, next to Pat and Nancy Artis, with Dean Ross of the College of Engineering on the right

Julia Ross, Paul and Dorothea Torgersen Dean of Engineering, said, "As many of you know, this spring 2022 we are graduating our very first cohort of undergraduate biomedical engineers. This is a feat that we are so very proud of that would not have been possible without the generosity of Pat and Nancy. Pat is an outstanding alumnus, who has achieved great success while embracing the Virginia Tech values of lifelong learning and discovery, and our motto, Ut Prosim (That I may serve). We are deeply grateful for his ongoing support. The generosity of Pat and Nancy will have a significant and long-term transformative impact on the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, and the college as a whole. This generosity will support the education of the next generation of Virginia Tech engineers, who will be tasked with solving some of the world’s most pressing problems."

Image of lab equipment in the biomedical engineering undergraduate Pat Artis Lab

Image of lab equipment and tables in the biomedical engineering undergraduate Pat Artis Lab

Lab Details

-Construction began in 2020 and our first cohort of biomedical engineers used the lab space during the fall 2020 semester

-Hosts 80 students per semester

-Teaches foundational skills in cell culturing and engineering, analysis of biology moieties (DNA, RNA, protein), cell phenotypes, interactions with biomaterials

- State of the art equipment, such as 8 biosafety cabinets, RT-PCR, Fluorescence microscope, fluorospectrometer, Inverted microscope, Cell Counter