The Department of Biomedical Engineering was established in 2001 to draw on the university's expertise in such areas as microelectromechanical systems and tissue engineering, in support of New Jersey's burgeoning biotechnology industry. In just a few years, the department has become one of the largest in the Newark College of Engineering. In 2003, the Department of Biomedical Engineering moved into specially designed space in newly-built Fenster Hall. Equipped with dedicated laboratories and classrooms the faculty pioneered a studio approach to education emphasizing hands-on, experiment-based learning.