BioE Adjunct Instructor Spotlight: Dr. Dianna Hammerstone
This article was written by Rida M., a Bioengineering undergraduate student and student office worker in the Department of Bioengineering.
Lehigh University has been a second home to Dr. Dianna Hammerstone for nearly a decade. This began as an undergraduate student-athlete, then as a Ph.D. researcher, and now as an adjunct professor shaping the next generation of engineers. Her story is one of persistence, curiosity, and finding community through both science and sport.
Dr. Hammerstone first stepped onto Lehigh University’s campus in 2016, drawn to Lehigh’s balance of rigorous academics and competitive athletics. She competed on the cross-country and track & field teams while pursuing a degree in Materials Science and Engineering. Looking back, she shares, “I chose Lehigh for its combination of academics and athletics. I found a home away from home both on my team and in the Materials Science and Engineering department.”
Her path into biomaterials began with a single class with Professor Lesley Chow in Introduction to Polymers, which sparked an interest that led her to join the Chow Research Group in 2018. Immersed in hands-on research, she discovered the blend of creativity and problem-solving that comes with working at the interface of materials and biology. She reflects, “I had such a wonderful experience as an undergraduate researcher that I couldn’t imagine going anywhere else.”
After completing her B.S. in 2020, she chose to stay at Lehigh for her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering. Her doctoral work in the Chow Lab focused on biomaterials and tissue engineering, which gives her five years of experience working directly at the intersection of materials science and bioengineering. That experience now anchors her teaching.
This semester, Dr. Hammerstone is teaching two courses: Introduction to Biomaterials and Mechanical Behavior of Polymers, a graduate-level course that connects polymer mechanics to real-world applications. She enjoys teaching students at all levels, from those exploring biomaterials for the first time to advanced graduate students balancing full-time industry careers. Even as she teaches, Dr. Hammerstone remains connected to research. She is currently finalizing a publication based on the final chapter of her Ph.D. Dissertation. She notes, “I am excited for it to come together and grateful for Lesley and my fellow lab members who are helping to make it happen.”
Outside of the classroom, she values time with her husband, her family, and her two dogs, Desi, a 7-year-old pitbull, and Gimli, a 2-year-old Dutch Shepherd. Dog training and competition have become not only her hobby, but a joyful balance to her academic life. Warm, grounded, and deeply committed to her students, Dr. Hammerstone exemplifies the collaborative spirit that defines the Lehigh Bioengineering community.