W. Gregory Sawyer is an N. C. Ebaugh Professor and a Distinguished Teaching Scholar. He received his PhD from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1999, and later that year joined the faculty in Mechanical Engineering. Prof. Sawyer has published over 200 journal papers, has over 10,000 citations, holds over 20 patents, and is most proud of his numerous PhD students that are now faculty members and scientists across the globe. He was a speaker at TED 8 (1998), a member of the original Mars Rover Program (NASA-JPL 1992), and is currently leading efforts in Cancer Engineering. Prof. Sawyer’s research interests have led to many adventures, from operating experiments (remotely) in space on the International Space Station to conducting experiments on the surface of the eye.