On March 28, 2013, seven months after the program began, Villanova’s Dr. Amy Fleischer, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, graduated as a Fellow of the Executive Leadership in Academic Technology and Engineering program (ELATE) at Drexel University. Dr. Fleischer was a member of the inaugural class of leaders in academic engineering and the sciences.
“For these fellows, the ELATE experience began with a spark they recognized in themselves, something unique that made them aspire to leadership,” says Drexel University President John A. Fry. “The impact of this ELATE fellowship will grow for each of them, as they apply what they learned to their current roles, and to new leadership opportunities. The impact will ripple out through academic engineering and the other fields in which they specialize, fields that will be immeasurably enriched by a new generation of woman leaders.”
Dr. Fleischer made College of Engineering history in June 2012, when she was promoted to Full Professor of Mechanical Engineering—the first time a female faculty member has ascended to this rank in any engineering discipline at Villanova. Internationally recognized for her expertise in thermal fluid systems design, Dr. Fleischer is director of NovaTherm—the Villanova Thermal Management Laboratory, and serves as a member of the National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center on Energy-Efficient Electronic Systems. Her research interests include sustainable energy systems design and thermal management of electronic systems. Recent investigations have included energy storage in phase-change materials, development of nano-enhanced materials, jet impingement, porous heat sinks and boiling heat transfer. She has authored more than 60 papers for scholarly journals and conferences, and has been repeatedly recognized for her accomplishments in the field of heat transfer.