On a recent Uber ride, the driver asked me what I did for a living. I told him I was a professor.I explained that while I teach engineering, I actually spend more time doing research in my field, which mainly involves developing biomedical devices and materials that can be used for diagnostics and preventing the spread of pathogens.That conversation and many others like it make me wonder how we can open up the perceptions and definitions of what professors do.
A few years ago, I led a research team that developed a test that can be incorporated into food packaging to generate a warning when food is contaminated with E. coli, listeria or other harmful bacteria. We created a method that takes about 24 hours, only to learn the industry needs something much, much faster – a process that can be measured in seconds.
Compared with a generation ago, manufacturers are less able to support in-house research and development and are increasingly turning to universities to help them meet the future.