One professor in the biological engineering department teaches his students that aging is not a scary process. The key to growing old gracefully is knowing how the body works.
Jerome Gilbert, professor and head of the department of agricultural and biological engineering teaches the class “Dynamics of Aging.” This class informs students of the changes that occur in the aging process from the engineering perspective.
“This class looks at the biology of aging from the viewpoint of a biomedical engineer,” said Gilbert. “It shows students how they can have an impact on aging and the diseases associated with aging in biomedical engineering.”
Gilbert, a Jackson native, arrived at Mississippi State University in 1988. He received his bachelor’s degree in biological engineering from MSU in 1977 and received his doctorate in biomedical engineering from Duke University in 1982. He started teaching this class in 1990. It is offered every other fall.
“The students learn about the changes that occur with age,” said Gilbert. “And the ways in which biomedical engineering has assisted with diseases that occur with aging.”
Gilbert said the class merges biology and engineering but is not as in depth as biology. It focuses entirely on the aging process.
“We study the different systems and see how they will fail with age,” said Tressie Hall, a senior in Biological Engineering. “Everybody needs to know what is going on with their body with age. When your body starts to deteriorate, you will know what happens.”
Gilbert lectures for part of the class. He then divides the students in to groups and they present presentations on certain topics related to aging. This gives them a chance to do research and present information in class, he said.
“This class shows how our body will change over time,” said Rebecca Pounders, a senior in biological engineering. “Knowing how it all works will help us later on in life.”
The class also has to create Web sites on different topics. One group made a Web page two years ago that included a timeline on the heart. The Web site is currently used in a course at Rice University.
“The professor called and asked permission to include in one of his courses because he thought it was so detailed,” said Gilbert.
Gilbert added that the class also teaches students that to be more understanding of older people.
“Our society tends to lean toward Ageism, which is the prejudice against old people. This class will give students an appreciation of older people in our society,” Gilbert said.
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