BME was founded in 1996, building on over thirty years of graduate education and research in the Bioengineering Graduate Program. The department started with two faculty members, a small graduate student population, no undergraduates, and no facilities other than a departmental office. Since then, it has grown enormously with new faculty, facilities, students, and degree programs. BME moved part of its operations into the Carl A. Gerstacker Building in February 2003. With the generous support of the Whitaker Foundation and the Lurie Family Foundation, a second new facility, including a lab wing, offices and classrooms, was completed in August 2006.