In Memoriam: Steven J. Stanhope
Photos courtesy of University Archives and Records Management | Photo illustration by Jeffrey C. Chase August 15, 2024
Campus community remembers pioneering researcher, administrator
Steven J. Stanhope, a pioneering biomechanics researcher and retired University of Delaware professor and administrator, passed away Aug. 2, 2024, at home with his family, after a brief but intense battle with a rare form of lung cancer. Dr. Stanhope, who was 66, had previously survived an aggressive battle with prostate cancer.
At UD, Dr. Stanhope had served as professor of kinesiology and applied physiology in the College of Health Sciences and associate vice president for research.
“When I think of Steven, the first words that come to mind are: bold, driven and hardworking. Steven was an incredibly dedicated scientist and administrator," said William Farquhar, dean of the College of Health Scienes. "As a strategic, big-picture thinker, he played a critical role in helping secure support for our research infrastructure. And as a thoughtful, compassionate mentor, he inspired and encouraged those fortunate enough to spend time with him. Steven's legacy of unwavering commitment, coupled with his tireless pursuit of excellence, will continue to resonate within our hearts and inspire his students for years to come.”
Dr. Stanhope’s research in the areas of biomechanics and rehabilitation sciences focused on helping people reach their optimal level of function when an injury, disease or other health related condition results in physical disability. His interests centered on rehabilitation biomechanics and the clinical application of human motion capture, analysis and simulation methodologies. Specific topic areas included gait, balance, prosthetics and orthotics, modeling pediatric obesity and, more recently, joint stiffness, bone shape, rapid virtual prototyping of advanced prostheses and orthoses.
This work led to the development of a minimally invasive skeletal tracking method, a method for calibrating instrumented treadmills in situ, a novel body weight support system and several commercially available products. He had a particular interest in working with amputees to optimize prosthetic performance.
After serving as director of biomechanics and motion analysis at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dr. Stanhope joined the Delaware faculty in 2007 to lead efforts to grow the region’s biomedical research enterprise through multidisciplinary partnerships and the establishment of foundational research capabilities.
At UD, he held joint academic appointments in the Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and the Biomechanics and Movement Science Interdisciplinary Graduate Program. He served as interim dean of the College of Health Sciences and as the University’s research integrity officer.
Dr. Stanhope established a Luminary site agreement with C-Motion Inc. that supported the research efforts of more than 50 faculty and students in the Biomechanics and Movement Science Program; and a cooperative agreement with the Tuscan region of the Italian Health Care Ministry to study community-based adaptive physical activity programs.
In 2010, he was named program coordinator and chair of the Delaware IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE), a statewide, multi-institutional program funded by the NIH and the National Center for Research Resources, and administered by UD. That program directly engaged 869 undergraduate students in mentored research experiences, supported 79 graduate students, provided research funds for 95 junior faculty, research support for over 1,000 Delaware investigators and generated over $455 million in down-stream awards.
Dr. Stanhope was the principal investigator and BADER Consortium director for a five-year, $19.5 million grant awarded in 2011 by the Department of Defense to establish evidence-based orthopedic rehabilitation care optimizing the ability of soldiers with musculoskeletal injuries to function in everyday life. The consortium brought together military training facilities, academic researchers and rehabilitation institutes. At the time of the award, he said, “Our goal is to see every wounded warrior living a full and engaging life without boundaries.”
He established and directed Delaware’s STRiDE (Supporting Translational Research in Delaware) initiative and established the BADER Prosthetics and Orthotics Clinic in partnership with regional care providers. He was the principal investigator of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the Advanced Design and Manufacturing (ADM) division of the U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center to explore the use of 3D printing technologies and advanced materials science for the development of custom dynamic lower leg braces. He also spearheaded a partnership with Delaware’s VA hospital. In addition, Dr. Stanhope served as the principal investigator on more than $90 million in sponsored research funds.
As part of the University’s research leadership team, he served as associate deputy provost for research and scholarship from 2013-17 and as associate vice president for research from 2017 until his retirement.
Dr. Stanhope was widely admired as an inspired scientist and a dedicated teacher with a lifelong commitment to mentorship.
He summed up his philosophy in his last text message to Dawn Everhart, his assistant in INBRE, when he wrote, “Many thanks for all your support over the years. Learn, laugh and love. But don’t blink.”
Dr. Stanhope retired from UD in 2023.
Colleagues, students remember
Some of Dr. Stanhope’s colleagues and former students shared their reflections:
Charles Riordan former vice president for research, scholarship and innovation at UD and current provost and senior vice president for academic affairs and Lawrence Herbert Distinguished Professor at Hofstra University: “Steven left his indelible mark on the University of Delaware through his deep intellect and his passion for collaborative program building. He founded and launched the BADER Consortium–a Department of Defense funded rehabilitation research consortium–and served a highly effective term as principal investigator for the Delaware INBRE program. His superpower was bringing together people from different perspectives to impact biomedical research and education. He was a talented scholar, educator and administrator and most importantly a cherished friend."
Jim Richards, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Health and Nursing Sciences: “Dr. Stanhope is remembered by his colleagues as an inspirational leader, a brilliant scientist, a highly-valued collaborator and a loyal member of the UD community. He was famous for his ability to see problems from a ‘30,000 foot’ perspective, often identifying opportunities or solutions that were not obvious to others. Perhaps his most valuable and endearing attribute can be appropriately described using a well-worn nautical reference: He positioned himself as the tide that would raise all boats, helping those around him do their best work by providing guidance, encouragement, support, resources and, above all, kindness.”
David Edwards, chair of the Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology at UD: “Steven had a unique ability to see the big picture and a true spirit of collaboration that he brought to UD and to our department. His big picture perspective was obvious in his leadership of large programs such as DE-INBRE and the BADER Consortium, both of which involved multiple organizations and expanded research infrastructure at UD and within the state. He was always willing to share his perspective and experience and his mentorship went beyond his graduate students to others such as faculty like me. Steven left a long-lasting impact on UD through his leadership of programs and through the many people that benefited from his collaboration and mentorship.”
Elisa S. Arch, associate professor of kinesiology and applied physiology at UD: “Steven was an influential and dedicated mentor who made a lasting impact on me and my career. His passion for teaching, mentoring and fostering students’ abilities and dreams was always evident. Arguably one of his most powerful impacts on his students was his ability to teach them how to think critically as well as how to communicate their ideas to others. Steven’s mentoring skills, combined with his infectious love of biomechanics and science, have inspired so many to follow in his footsteps and continue to advance the fields that he worked so passionately to move forward during his transformative career.”
Jeremy R. Crenshaw, associate professor of kinesiology and applied physiology at UD: “Steven had a genuine and consistent enthusiasm for life, including his work. The manner in which he drove ideas and initiatives forward was remarkable. He made substantial impacts on our University and scientific field. I had looked forward to seeing how Steven's creativity and ambition would guide him in retirement, and I'm saddened that those pursuits are now done. However, Steven's qualities continue to push forward through the programs he led at UD and through the impact of his collaborators and trainees.”
Kota Takahashi, Dr. Stanhope’s Ph.D. student from 2008-12 and now associate professor at the University of Utah: “I received my doctoral degree under Steven’s supervision over 10 years ago, and I still feel the impact of his mentoring every day. Steven challenged me to go after the tiniest details, and at the same time, pushed me to go after my biggest dreams. Being a Ph.D. student under Steven wasn’t always easy, as I often felt that his scientific standards weren’t attainable under my powers. I wasn’t wise enough then to know that Steven wasn’t training me to be a competent graduate student. Rather, he was training me for a lifelong career in science. He encouraged his students to struggle and fail so that we develop the skills needed to survive in today’s ultra-competitive academia. I’m forever grateful that Steven was my mentor. I will always remember our scientific discussions. Showing data to Steven for the first time was always a magical experience. He always reminded me that the greatest privilege for a scientist is to be the first person in the world to see data from experiments. Even when I thought our data were trivial, Steven always had the vision to see impact in ways that only he could. Some of the deep-dive discussions I’ve had with Steven (some of the meetings went over 2-3 hours!) continue to fuel my research today as a faculty member at the University of Utah.”
Anahid Ebrahimi, Dr. Stanhope’s Ph.D. student from 2013-18 and now health program specialist at the NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: "From his first e-mail welcoming me to the lab, Steven was committed to providing me with the resources, tools and support to reach my career goals…. Below are a few pieces of advice that Steven shared and that I will never forget:
1. Look at the career trajectories of successful scientists to start defining your own career goals. Model your career path after someone you admire.
2. Don’t get labeled into one niche area. Think about what is needed that would move the field forward and pursue the most generalizable solution.
3. Always start with the data/results. The results are the crux of the story, and they drive the next questions in your research.
4. Know the literature better than anyone, and be positively disruptive. Constantly challenge yourself to truly understand the results. What does it mean? How does it work? Why does it work this way? What is the impact?
5. Run towards the problem.
“Steven was insatiably curious and loved teaching…. In one of his last emails after a (surprise) retirement celebration for him, Steven shared his appreciation for the people he worked with: ‘So many memories and wonderful achievements. The best part of all was being able to spend remarkable periods working alongside so many truly gifted and wonderful people.’ But it was always Steven who brought out the best in us.”
About Steven Stanhope
Before joining UD in 2007, Dr. Stanhope conducted leading research in biomechanics and rehabilitative medicine as founding director of the Physical Disabilities Branch at the NIH, which was designated as the NIH’s intramural rehabilitation research program. He was appointed director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's Mechanics of Motion Program in 2006.
Prior to 2001, Dr. Stanhope developed and led the Biomechanics Laboratory in the clinical center's Rehabilitation Medicine Department for more than 16 years.
He also worked with colleagues in Rome to develop international cooperative agreements that led to the training of Italian scientists at NIH.
In 1998, he crafted a multi-year technology transfer strategy which leveraged small business innovative research (SBIR) and technology transfer (STTR) grants, contributing to the establishment of C-Motion Inc., currently the world’s leading distributor of biomechanics software.
A pioneer in the development and dissemination of six-degree-of-freedom motion capture and analysis techniques, Dr. Stanhope led the development of NIH biomechanical analysis software that by 1995 was used worldwide at over 48 clinical research facilities.
The author of hundreds of scientific papers, Dr. Stanhope spoke throughout the world on biomechanics, particularly regarding its application to clinical populations. He held multiple patents and created technology that is actively used today. He also held several prestigious scientific review appointments for the NIH and served as a manuscript reviewer for numerous biomechanics and rehabilitation publications.
While at NIH, Dr. Stanhope also maintained adjunct faculty appointments in biomedical engineering at the Catholic University of America and in the graduate faculty of the University of Maryland Medical School. He served as a senior mentor for graduate students at seven universities and in six disciplines.
He was a founding member of both the Italian Society of Movement Analysis in Clinic and the Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis (GCMA) Society. Dr. Stanhope served as GCMA society president and also as a member of the society’s Board of Directors for two terms.
A native of Attleboro, Massachusettts, he graduated from Boston University in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in human movement studies. He went on to study at the University of Maryland at College Park, where he completed his master’s degree in 1982 and his doctorate, with a concentration in biomechanics, human anatomy and exercise physiology, in 1985.
According to his family, Dr. Stanhope “was always happiest with salt water around him, a fishing pole in his hand, and a family member or a dear friend by his side.”
Dr. Stanhope is survived by his wife, Melody M. (Struble) Stanhope, sons, Colin John Stanhope (Elizabeth Dickey) of Baltimore and Ian James Stanhope of Lakewood, Colorado, as well as additional family, friends and colleagues around the world.
Memorial contributions in Dr. Stanhope’s honor may be made to any scientific research endeavor of the donor’s choosing, University of Maryland School of Medicine or Bridging Life Hospice, Westminster Maryland. The family notes, “More than anything Steven would want those that cared about him to go after their dreams!”
Visitation will be held from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 17, at Witzke Funeral Homes Inc., 5555 Twin Knolls Road, Columbia, MD 21045, where a memorial service will begin at 1 p.m.
To read his obituary or leave online condolences, visit Witzke Funeral Homes.
Contact Us
Have a UDaily story idea?
Contact us at ocm@udel.edu
Members of the press
Contact us at 302-831-NEWS or visit the Media Relations website
ADVERTISEMENT
Resources
Office of Communications & Marketing 105 E. Main St. Newark, DE 19716 ocm@udel.edu Phone: 302-831-2792