Date/Time
Date(s) - 10/22/2024
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Location
NVIDIA Auditorium, Malachowsky Hall
Categories
Abstract
There are many aspects of college learning where UF is in a nearly unique position to excel. They probably have a bigger effect on a professional life than the many lectures that we all attend, even though those lectures are very useful too. This is going to be a brief overview of ones that may not always be noticed but can be especially valuable and include: relationships, innovation via business, research-driven critical thinking, the massive local healthcare industry, hi-tech equipment, and overcoming adversity.
Bio
Christopher Batich, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, Materials Science & Engineering, University of Florida
After earning his doctorate in organic chemistry from Rutgers University and a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Basel in Switzerland, Dr. Christopher Batich worked as a staff scientist at DuPont’s Central Research Department. He joined UF in 1980, where, in addition to his research and teaching, he was the founding director of the Graduate Biomedical Engineering Program, which eventually became UF’s Biomedical Engineering Department. He later served as the founding associate director and chief operating officer of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute.
Most notable among Dr. Batich’s innovations is Bioguard®, an advanced wound dressing and a bacterial barrier developed with co-inventors at UF and a local start-up company. It was adopted in multiple burn units and nursing homes throughout the United States.
Beyond Bioguard®, Dr. Batich’s diverse research portfolio spans from polymeric materials analysis to the development of drug delivery systems for neurodegenerative diseases. More recently, he collaborated with UF Entomology and Nematology Department faculty and U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists to focus on protection against disease-carrying insects, which led to a commercialized mosquito-killing device.
Dr. Batich was elected as a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and holds 56 U.S. patents. In 2020, he was inducted into the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame for his contributions to science, technology and medicine.