Honoring Dr. Banu Onaral: A Lifelong Champion of Knowledge and Progress
- Written by Admin TOA
- Published in Academicians
Born in Istanbul, Turkey, Dr. Banu Onaral came from a lineage deeply rooted in innovation. Her mother, Şükûfe Demirağ, was the daughter of Nuri Demirağ, a pioneer in Turkish aviation and industry, while her father, Mehmet Kum, was one of Turkey’s first aircraft engineers and pilots. This environment nurtured her passion for learning and exploration from an early age. Dr. Onaral attended Notre Dame de Sion French Girls’ High School in Istanbul and pursued higher education at Boğaziçi University, earning a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering. She completed her PhD in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania in 1978. Joining Drexel University in 1981, she became the H. H. Sun Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Electrical Engineering, and later, the Founding Director of Drexel’s School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems.
Her academic contributions spanned biomedical signal processing, complex systems, and functional optical brain imaging. She established interdisciplinary research initiatives like the CONQUER CollabOrative, advancing healthcare, cognitive performance, and human-system integration. Her work received funding from major organizations, including NSF, NIH, and DARPA.
Dr. Onaral’s accolades include the Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award and fellowships in IEEE, AAAS, and AIMBE. As President of IEEE-EMBS, she helped shape the future of biomedical engineering, organizing influential conferences and strategic panels. Her commitment to translational research was evident in her leadership of the Coulter-Drexel Translational Research Partnership, bridging academia and industry to bring medical innovations to market.
Internationally, Dr. Onaral fostered partnerships across China, Israel, Italy, Spain, and Turkey, championing global innovation networks and dual-degree programs. In her later years, she served as Senior Presidential Advisor for Global Innovation Partnerships at Drexel, guiding international collaborations.
Even during her illness, Dr. Onaral remained engaged in research, using her experiences as a patient to inform clinical improvements. She was deeply committed to enhancing healthcare, combining compassion with cutting-edge technology.
Dr. Onaral is survived by her husband, Ibrahim Onaral, and her son, Philadelphia soul singer Mutlu Onaral. Her funeral will take place on December 19, 2024, in Philadelphia. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Çağdaş Yaşamı Destekleme Derneği (CYDD), supporting education initiatives in Turkey.
To honor her legacy, Drexel University has established the Professor Banu Onaral Endowed Fund for Global Innovation Partnerships, supporting students in fields like neurotechnology and immune engineering. Her transformative work and dedication to mentoring will inspire future generations to innovate, collaborate, and make a difference worldwide. In July 2015, she was recognized as one of the '30 Most Influential Turkish American Women in the USA' by TurkofAmerica.
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