John Burpo

About 

John Burpo is the Dean and Professor of Engineering at the University of Portland’s Donald P. Shiley School of Engineering.  Prior to assuming his current role, he served nearly 34 years as an active-duty Army officer retiring at the rank of Brigadier General and culminating as Professor and Head of Chemical and Biological Science and Engineering at the United States Military Academy at West Point. There, he provided leadership for the ABET accredited Chemical Engineering, ACS accredited Chemistry, and Biology majors and the Bioengineering minor, along with oversight of the Center for Molecular Science and Photonics Research Center, and the Pre-Medical Scholarship Program. With over 50 staff and faculty members, the department taught courses to nearly 3,000 students each year including five common core curriculum courses.

After completing his doctorate in bioengineering, he conducted a dual post-doctoral fellowship in the Biomolecular Materials Laboratory and Security Studies Program fellowship, both at MIT. He has also served in R&D and leadership roles in the Combat Capabilities Development Command-Soldier Center at Natick, MA and the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD and. He has extensive experience serving on advisory and review boards across government, academia, and industry.

He has taught courses in biomedical engineering, biomechanical engineering, advanced bioengineering, materials engineering, engineering data analysis, biotechnology, biochemistry, general chemistry, and biology, as well as research courses at every undergraduate level. His “teaching through research” approach to undergraduate education is enabled by leading the Multi-Functional Materials Laboratory developing 3-dimensionally structured bio- and nano-materials with applications across power and energy storage, sensing, and catalysis applications.

Education 

• D. Bioengineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• S. Chemical Engineering, Stanford University
• S. Mechanical-Aerospace Engineering, United States Military Academy, West Point 

Links 

• LinkedIn
• Google Scholar

Selected Recent Publications 

1. Burpo, F.J.^*, James, C., Nagelli, E., Limbocker, R., Parker, K. A 250-Year Perspective on U.S. Army–Driven Materials Science and Engineering Innovation and Leadership Development. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2026, 18(4), 6265. (DOI)
2. Fallot, L., Natarajan, C., Anderson, C., Nagelli, E., Burpo, F.J.,^* Limbocker, R.^* From pathology to materials science and engineering: harnessing the amyloid state for biotechnological applications. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2025, 17 (46), 62839. (DOI)
3. Brilian, A., Lim, C., Lee, G., Lee, S., Mahardika, I., Yoo, S., Jo, Y., Jeong, H., Ju, B., Burpo, F.J., Tae, G., and Shin, K. Translational Extracellular Matrix Spray-Coating Approach for Large-Scale Bioactive Surface Functionalization and Tissue Repair. Advanced Healthcare Materials, 2025, 14(30), e02804. (DOI)
4. Calabro, R., Longstaff, G., Tang, E., Xiao, V., Zammit, A., Zhang, F., Nagelli, E., Chapman, P., Lawton, T., Allen, M., Losch, A., Palmer, J., Ciampa, A., Burpeau, I., Lucian, V., Bartolucci, J., Maurer, J., Burpo, F.J.^* Magnetic Field-Assisted Fe Nanowire Conformable Aerogels Galvanically Displaced to Cu and Pt for 3-Dimensional Electrode Applications. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2025, 17(18), 26854. (DOI)
5. Adebanjo, I., Eko, J., Agbeyegbe, A., Yuk, S., Cowart, S.^*, Nagelli, E., Burpo, F.J., Tran, D., Allen, J.^*, Bhattarai, N., Shah, K., Hwang, J., Sun, H.^* A Comprehensive Review of Lithium-Ion Battery Components Degradation and Operational Considerations: A Safety Perspective. RSC Energy Advances. 2025, 4, 820. (DOI)