Dean and Professor of Engineering Tejal Desai ’94 was one of 449 scientists and engineers elected as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the AAAS announced last week.
Desai described the distinction as “a tremendous honor,” adding that being nominated by her peers made the achievement “especially meaningful.” Fellows are elected by the AAAS Council from an approved list of nominations from the Section Steering Committee.
The AAAS — one of the largest multidisciplinary scientific societies — has steering committees to nominate researchers across 24 scientific disciplines.
“The AAAS represents a legacy of scientists who not only advance their fields but also advocate for science’s role in society,” Desai wrote in an email to The Herald. Election as a fellow of the AAAS is considered a lifetime honor and recognizes scientists for their achievements in a number of disciplines, according to the AAAS website.
Desai’s work — which combines engineering, biology, pharmacology and clinical medicine — aims to improve therapeutic interventions for disease through the use of micro and nanoscale technologies.
“While I am getting the recognition, it is really a testament of the work that my lab has done over many years to improve therapeutic delivery, from basic science to translational engineering,” she added.
Desai graduated from Brown in 1994 with a degree in biomedical engineering, and received her PhD from the University of California, San Francisco and the University of California, Berkeley in 1998. She returned to campus in 2022 to serve as the second dean of the School of Engineering.
In 2024, Desai was elected to the National Academy of Engineering, one of the highest recognitions in the field. Desai has also worked with the United Nations Women’s council and the Public Broadcasting Service to design engineering-related programming.
Kareen Coulombe, associate professor of engineering, highlighted Desai’s “humility” toward science and engineering, even with her recognitions and achievements, describing her as a “shining example of the best at Brown,” in an email to The Herald.
Professor of Engineering Linda Abriola wrote that Desai has also “devoted much of her career to advancing STEM education and outreach to underrepresented students.”
In addition to being an “energetic” and “caring” leader, Desai has made “ground-breaking contributions as an innovator and researcher,” Abriola wrote in an email to The Herald.
Janet Blume, deputy dean of the faculty, associate professor of engineering and interim dean of the graduate school, taught Desai as an undergraduate on campus and recalls that “she was a standout then too.”
“We’re so lucky that her path took her back to Brown,” Blume wrote in an email to The Herald.
As engineering dean, Desai “talks with students, engages with staff and faculty” and launches new programs, Coulombe wrote. Under her leadership, the School of Engineering launched the design engineering concentration in 2023.
Coulombe wrote that Desai’s work is a “testament to her love of the Brown community and amazing leadership as dean,” she added.
According to Desai, her role as dean and her work in the lab “feed into each other.”
“Being dean gives me a ‘big picture’ view of how engineering can solve global problems,” she wrote, “while my research keeps me grounded in the daily work of the lab and allows me to appreciate the everyday challenges facing students and faculty.”
For Desai, her election as AAAS fellow reminds her “that it is our responsibility as scientists to demystify science and amplify the impact that scientific discoveries bring us.”
“My most important impact isn’t a single paper, patent or company started — it’s really the student(s) who I have trained,” she added.
Seyla Fernandez is a senior staff writer covering faculty.
