Mark Benden

Benden was raised in Maryland^[1] to a machinist father who inspired him to attend Texas A&M University for his Bachelor of Science in bioengineering with a focus on medicine.^[2] However, in his senior year, he shifted his career path after taking an elective course on ergonomics by Jerome Congleton. Subsequently, he pursued a Master's degree in industrial engineering.^[3] While completing his degrees, Benden was a member of the Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets and in the United States Army Reserve. Benden eventually became an officer of the United States Army Reserve and became an engineer for Johnson & Johnson's medical products division (Ethicon) upon the completion of his Master's degree.^[1]

After working for six years at Johnson & Johnson, Benden became the Director of Engineering and Development at Neutral Posture Inc.^[4] While at Neutral Posture, he completed his PhD in interdisciplinary engineering from Texas A&M and secured a patent for his armrest design.^[3] After 10 years with Johnson & Johnson, Benden joined the faculty at the Texas A&M School of Public Health in 2008.^[3][5] During his first year, Benden and colleague Eric Wilke began developing a new ambulance that could navigate crowded and narrow streets in rural areas following a medical trip by Wilke to Uganda.^[6] This led to the creation of the AmbiCycle, an ambulance that was nine feet long and used three wheels.^[7] At the same time, Benden began conducting studies to test the impact standing desks had on technology induced inactivity. This led to the creation of Stand2Learn, a start-up company tasked with developing the classroom version of standing desks for elementary, middle, and high school students that Benden had designed.^[8] From 2011 to 2013, Benden oversaw a study in three Texas elementary schools which found that standing desks had a larger positive impact on childhood obesity than regular standard desks over two years.^[9][10] In 2013, Benden was also promoted to the rank of associate professor with tenure.^[11] In 2015 he became the Chair of the Environmental and Occupational Health Department.^[4]

By May 2018, Benden's standing desks were used by 100,000 children inside schools in all 50 states and 13 other nations. As a result, he received the 2018 Innovation Award from Texas A&M Technology Commercialization.^[12] Stand2Learn was shortly thereafter acquired by Varidesk, a manufacturer of active office products.^[5] In 2019, Benden was named an inaugural senior member of the National Academy of Inventors as a result of his inventions to fight childhood obesity and improve classroom ergonomics.^[13] In 2023, Benden was elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.^[2]

Benden and his wife Teresa have three sons together.^[14]

• Could You Stand to Lose? Weight Loss Secrets for Office Workers (2006, 2008)