John Farris, Ph.D

Professor, Product Design & Manufacturing Engineering

B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Lehigh University, 1987

M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Lehigh University, 1993

Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, University of Rhode Island, 1998

Dr. John Farris focuses on medical device design. He works in an ongoing collaboration with the Lincoln Developmental Center, a Grand Rapids public school serving approximately 120 severely impaired students, and Mobility Opportunities Via Education/Experience (MOVE). Through this collaboration, they have developed the prototype for a lean-activated wheelchair that responds to the user’s upper-body deflection as it improves trunk strength. Full-time graduate students in GVSU’s Biomedical Engineering program are playing a key part in getting this wheelchair to production as they work with Dr. Farris to improve its design as they participate in translational research.

Email: [email protected]
Location: 213 Innovation Design Center
Phone: (616) 331-7267