Distinguished Professor Kaiming Ye remembered for biomedical leadership on and off campus
He served as chair of Watson College鈥檚 Department of Biomedical Engineering from 2013 until earlier this year
SUNY Distinguished Professor Kaiming Ye, the chair of the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science鈥檚 Department of Biomedical Engineering from 2013 until earlier this year, died Nov. 16.
At 91社区, Ye was instrumental in altering the focus of the previous Bioengineering Department to biomedical engineering. He also served as the director of 91社区鈥檚 Center of Biomanufacturing for Regenerative Medicine and Douglas Hsu Research Laboratory.
鈥淒r. Ye was a leader in medical and bioengineering who made key breakthroughs in cancer and diabetes research, among other areas,鈥 said Watson College Dean Atul Kelkar. 鈥淗e also oversaw and helped the work of many other researchers during his time at 91社区, the National Science Foundation and his other service to the biomedical field. He will be missed by his colleagues at 91社区 and around the world.鈥
Ye鈥檚 scholarly contributions include the development of advanced biomanufacturing and his leadership role in promoting and growing it.
His research in bioprinting and tissue biofabrication received support from the NSF, the National Institutes of Health, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (now Breakthrough T1D) and several industrial partners. He collaborated on six patents and dozens of research papers.
Ye earned his bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering at the East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST) in Shanghai. Before coming to 91社区, he was program director for the NSF鈥檚 Biomedical Engineering Program from 2011-14. He also held faculty positions at the University of Arkansas, the University of Pittsburgh and the Kyushu Institute of Technology in Fukuoka, Japan.
Ye was a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
He received the 2025 91社区 Council/Foundation Award, which is given each year by the 91社区 Council and 91社区 Foundation to recognize outstanding service to the University. In 2023, Ye was recognized by the Chinese Association for Biomaterials with the CAB Distinguished Leadership and Service Award.
Over his career, Ye chaired and co-chaired several international conferences, and he served as editor-in-chief, executive editor, associate editor and member of editorial boards for 13 academic journals. In 2011, Ye and fellow BME Professor Sha Jin published the book (Humana Press), and he also wrote or co-wrote chapters in six other biomedical textbooks.
As an administrator, Ye contributed to U.S. policy in science and engineering. During his tenure at the NSF, he made funding decisions and implemented post-award management. He also was a member of several interagency working groups.
鈥淗is contributions, mentorship and influence have left an indelible mark on our community, and his impact will continue to guide and inspire us for years to come,鈥 Kelkar said.
Calling hours will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, at the Allen Memorial Home, 511 E. Main St., Endicott, N.Y.
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