Alumni Spotlight: Samuel Ward

The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) announced the election of CSULB Department of Physical Therapy Alumni, Samuel R. Ward, PT, Ph.D., to its College of Fellows. Dr. Ward is a Professor and Vice Chair, Orthopaedic Surgery, Radiology, and Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego. He was nominated, reviewed, and elected by peers and members of the College of Fellows for contributions to the field of biomechanical modeling, specifically in skeletal muscle design, plasticity, and imaging.  

The College of Fellows is comprised of the top two percent of medical and biological engineers in the country. The most accomplished and distinguished engineering and medical school chairs, research directors, professors, innovators, and successful entrepreneurs comprise the College of Fellows. AIMBE Fellows are regularly recognized for their contributions in teaching, research, and innovation. AIMBE Fellows have been awarded the Nobel Prize, the Presidential Medal of Science and the Presidential Medal of Technology and Innovation and many also are members of the National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Medicine, and the National Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Ward graduated from the Department of Physical Therapy program in 1998 and established the department’s excellence in biomechanics award. He taught an anatomy laboratory class for physical therapy students in 1998. As an alumnus, Ward has served as a Department of Physical Therapy guest lecturer and advisory board member, sponsors a scholarship for students excelling in the orthopaedic sciences and funds an annual graduating student award for excellence in biomechanics. In his spare time, Ward is an avid woodworker.

A formal induction ceremony will be held during AIMBE’s 2021 Annual Event on March 26. Dr. Ward will be inducted along with 174 colleagues who make up the AIMBE Fellow Class of 2021. For more information about the AIMBE Annual Event, please visit www.aimbe.org.