As you’ve no doubt heard by now, we are thrilled to welcome Dr. Edward Eisenstein back to the UH community, this time as the program’s brand-new Director!
As a long-time faculty member in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering and a fellow at the Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Dr. Eisenstein may be a familiar face to some of you. He led the Redesigning Life Cluster from 2022-2024 and was even a recipient of the UH Mission Award. He brings over 30 years of experience in research interdisciplinary teaching, undergraduate mentorship, and academic leadership with him to the program, including co-advising UMD’s iGEM program and leading his own lab within the University System of Maryland’s Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research (IBBR).
Dr. Eisenstein has already hit the ground running alongside the rest of the UH Staff and he’s looking forward to meeting more members of the UH community this Fall. To better introduce him, we sat down with Dr. E to chat about his experiences with UH so far and what he hopes to help UH achieve during his tenure.
Q: What brought you back to University Honors?
A: It was a privilege to teach in University Honors, developing a cluster with several colleagues around Redesigning Life: what is at stake as society is able to read, write, edit and design genomes – from microbes to humans. That experience convinced me that University Honors could be a platform to link scholars at all levels to take on grand challenges. I believe that University Honors can make a difference not only on the lives of our students, but in the life of our campus, and the greater community.
Q: What is something special about University Honors?
A: The people: students, faculty, staff, alumni. Their intensity, integrity, curiosity and commitment are inspiring.
Q: What kinds of things would you like to see the UH community do during your time as the program’s Director?
A: We are a large and diverse community – that spans many different experiences, that enjoys a wide range of interests, and that is taking on many distinctive challenges. We need to find ways to come together, our entire community, to share our journeys and help one another in theirs.
Q: What are you most excited to do as the new UH Director?
A: I’m looking forward to engaging with students, and to share their aspirations with our stakeholders, within and outside the university. I’m going to work on expanding opportunities for collaboration among students, faculty and staff with other programs in the university to enrich the experience of all, and to help the university realize the goals of its strategic plan.
Q: If you could describe the benefit of being a University Honors student in 10 words or less, what would you say?
A: Our community develops character for a meaningful and impactful life.
Q: Are there any words of wisdom you’d like to share with the UH Community before the start of the Fall semester?
A: Turn curiosity into discovery, learning into leadership, and academic excellence into meaningful contributions that improve your community and the world.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. E back to University Honors in this exciting new role!