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College of Engineering

Amy Fleischer, PhD, '91 ME, '96 MSME: Empowering Women in STEM

Amy Fleischer, PhD, '91 ME, '96 MSME
Amy Fleischer, PhD, '91 ME, '96 MSME

Who: Amy Fleischer, PhD, '91 ME, '96 MSME

Title: Dean of Engineering, California Polytechnic State University

Academic Career:

After 18 years at Villanova University, where she served as professor and ultimately chair of the Mechanical Engineering department, Dr. Amy Fleischer was named Dean of Engineering at  California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo, CA. There, she leads 10 departments offering 14 BS degree programs to more than 6,000 engineering students.

Dedication to Villanova:

During her time at Villanova, Dr. Fleischer advised 21 graduate students and mentored 45 undergraduate research projects. She also led the College’s NovaTherm Research Laboratory where her interests included the broad topics of sustainable energy system design and thermal management of electronic systems. In 2017, she was named site director for the Center for Energy-Smart Electronic Systems.

Dedication to Women in STEM:

Dean Fleischer is a tireless advocate for women’s leadership and equality in engineering. She was the chair of the steering committee that launched the McNulty Institute for Women’s Leadership at Villanova, founded Villanova’s “Engineering is for Girls! Day” and led or participated in numerous women in STEM committees and outreach programs.

Gary A. Gabriele Award:

Dr. Fleischer’s drive towards better opportunities for women in engineering was indubitably the deciding factor in her selection to receive the inaugural Gary A. Gabriele Memorial Award. In 2018, the Gary A. Gabriele Memorial Award was instituted in Dean Gabriele’s honor to recognize an alumnus who has promoted equity in the field. The recipient may have championed women or underrepresented racial and ethnic groups in engineering, supported STEM outreach activities to introduce socially, geographically and economically diverse students to the discipline, or encouraged, advanced and empowered these individuals in the workplace. The deserving alumnus must also have demonstrated a positive attitude toward promoting the name and programs of Villanova’s College of Engineering.