Dr. Donald R. Peterson is the Dean of the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology at Northern Illinois University and a Professor of Mechanical Engineering.  He is also a joint professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University and a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). 

Dr. Peterson is a graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, earning degrees in Aerospace Engineering (BS) and Biomechanical Engineering (BS), and a graduate of the University of Connecticut, earning degrees in Mechanical Engineering (MS) and Biomedical Engineering (PhD). 

Dr. Peterson has over 25 years of experience in biomedical engineering and medical research, which has been focused on measuring and modeling injury biomechanics and human, organ, and/or cell performance, including exposures to various physical stimuli and the subsequent biological responses. His research has involved the investigation of injury mechanisms and human–device interaction and has led to the generation of new technologies and systems, such as personal protection technologies, occupational exoskeleton systems, robotic assist devices for hemiplegic rehabilitation, long-duration biosensor monitoring and reporting systems, novel surgical and dental devices and instruments, smart medical devices for home patient care, and biotechnology systems.  Dr. Peterson’s research has also been focused on hand-arm vibration exposures from tool use and he serves as a US delegate on the International Standards Organization Technical Committee (ISO/TC) 108/SC4 on Human Exposure to Mechanical Vibration and Shock. 

Dr. Peterson is also the Chair of the ASTM Committee F48 on Exoskeletons and Exosuits.  He has published over 115 peer-reviewed scholarly works and is the Editor-in-Chief for “The Biomedical Engineering Handbook”, published by CRC Press, and for the journal “Bioengineered”, published by Taylor and Francis.