Honoring the Service of Dean Paul Brandt-Rauf
This message was share with faculty and professional staff members on June 12, 2026.
Dear Colleagues,
I write today to share that Dean Paul Brandt-Rauf, ScD, MD, DrPH, will step down as dean of the School of Biomedical Engineering and Science, effective June 30, 2026.
As he returns to the faculty, Dean Brandt-Rauf will assume a new role as Special Advisor to the Provost for Biomedical Innovation. In that capacity, he will work with me to support academic programs and build research collaborations across the College of Medicine, Nick Howley College of Engineering and Computing, College of Nursing and Health Professions, Dornsife School of Public Health and other colleges — strengthening connections that will advance Drexel’s distinction in health sciences and biomedical research.
On behalf of Drexel, I want to extend our deepest gratitude for nearly a decade of dedicated leadership and thank Dean Brandt-Rauf for his vital role in guiding BioMed through one of the most consequential periods of transformation in the University’s history.
Dean Brandt-Rauf joined Drexel in February 2017 after a distinguished career at Columbia University and the University of Illinois Chicago, where he served as dean of the School of Public Health. He brought to Drexel a distinctive combination of strengths — as an internationally recognized scholar in occupational and environmental medicine and molecular epidemiology, a proven academic leader, and a deeply committed mentor to faculty and students. Over the course of his tenure, he has embodied those qualities at every turn.
Honoring the Contributions of Dean Brandt-Rauf
The School of Biomedical Engineering and Science had its origins as the first biomedical engineering and science institute in the United States, founded in 1961 — a distinction Dean Brandt-Rauf understood and honored. Under his leadership, BioMed strengthened the rigorous, interdisciplinary character that has defined it for more than six decades while expanding its research portfolio and strengthening its role as a hub for translational discovery.
His own scholarship — spanning the molecular epidemiology of environmental carcinogenesis, protein engineering and novel peptide therapies for cancer prevention and treatment — has exemplified the School’s commitment to research that moves from bench to impact. Under Dean Brandt-Rauf's leadership, the School also cultivated expertise in immune engineering, applying engineering techniques to basic and translational immunology to fight cancer, infectious disease, and immunological disorders.
Dean Brandt-Rauf has authored more than 240 journal articles and book chapters, edited multiple volumes on occupational and environmental health, and served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. That record of scholarship ran alongside his administrative responsibilities without interruption and is a testament to his productivity and discipline as a scientist.
Perhaps no dimension of Dean Brandt-Rauf’s tenure has been more consequential than his role in supporting Drexel’s Academic Transformation. As the University moved to integrate the College of Engineering, the College of Computing & Informatics and BioMed into the new Howley College of Engineering and Computing, Dean Brandt-Rauf was a constructive and stabilizing presence.
He worked closely with Interim Deans Kapil Dandekar and Ali Shokoufandeh and Interim Executive Dean Aleister Saunders to maintain continuity of academic operations while the integration took shape, protecting the interests of BioMed’s students, faculty and staff throughout a period of significant organizational change. His willingness to serve through the transition made a meaningful difference.
Dean Brandt-Rauf’s leadership was defined by his commitment to the people in his community. He invested in the development of junior faculty, championed a culture of rigorous inquiry, and maintained close attention to student outcomes. Those who worked alongside him describe a dean who was direct, accessible and deeply invested in the long-term success of the School he led.
In the coming weeks, I will work with Executive Interim Dean Saunders, incoming Dean Santos and BioMed faculty and staff to identify an interim leader for the School. We are committed to a thoughtful process that ensures continuity for students, faculty and staff.
As we look ahead to the full realization of the Howley College of Engineering and Computing under the leadership of Dean Santos and to the launch of Drexel’s semester calendar in August 2027, the foundation Dean Brandt-Rauf helped build will continue to support what comes next. We are grateful for his service.
Sincerely,
Paul E. Jensen, PhD
Executive Vice President
Nina Henderson Provost