Paulette Spencer

Dr. Spencer joined KU's Department of Mechanical Engineering in 2007. In addition to her academic role, she is founding Director of the Bioengineering Research Center. 

With an interdisciplinary background that includes a D.D.S, an M.S. in materials engineering, and a Ph.D. in oral biology and physics, Dr. Spencer is among the pioneers in the development of non-destructive techniques for in situ characterization of structure/property relationships at material/tissue interfaces. Her group focuses on mechanistic evaluation of material/tissue interfacial failure and the application of this knowledge to the rational design and development of biomaterials. 

Dr. Spencer is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), the Biomaterials Science and Engineering-International Union of Societies for Biomaterials, and the American College of Dentists. She was a U.S. Fulbright Scholar to Brazil in 2014-2015, and received the Clemson Award for Basic Research from the Society of Biomaterials in 2019.

Learn more about Paulette Spencer on KU's Department of Mechanical Engineering website.