John DesJardins received his PhD in Bioengineering from Clemson University in December 2006, and has worked for over fifteen years as a biomechanical research engineer. He has co-authored over 150 peer-reviewed journal and conference publications in the areas of biomechanics, biomaterials tribology and mechanical testing, and is the director of the Laboratory of Orthopaedic Design and Engineering at Clemson University. He currently leads or participates in many multidisciplinary research teams on projects funded through NASA, DoD, DoT, NSF, biomedical industry and other regional non-profit foundations. As an assistant professor, he is the primary instructor for the senior capstone design courses, where he has led small teams to develop innovative biomedical devices. He regularly interacts with local biomedical industry representatives that are interested in undergraduate education and outreach. He is the founder and current director of the undergraduate bioengineering study abroad programs.