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Dr. Amy Fleischer Named Dean of Cal Poly’s College of Engineering

Dr. Amy Fleischer
Dr. Amy Fleischer

Amy Fleischer, PhD, professor and chair of Mechanical Engineering and director of Villanova University’s Center for Energy-Smart Electronic Systems (ES2), will be appointed dean of Cal Poly’s College of Engineering. Beginning her term July 16, 2018, Dr. Fleischer will provide the college’s overall academic, administrative and financial leadership.

A Villanova Engineering alumna (B.S., 1991; M.S., 1996), Dr. Fleischer earned her PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota in 2000, and joined the faculty of Villanova University’s Mechanical Engineering department that same year. In 2012, she was named the College’s first female full professor and three years later became chair of the Mechanical Engineering department. In 2017, Dr. Fleischer was named ES2 site director; she also leads the College’s NovaTherm Research Laboratory where her interests include the broad topics of sustainable energy system design and thermal management of electronic systems. Recent research projects have included design of nanostructured energy materials for transient thermal management of electronics, the development and study of nanostructured thin films for use as thermal interface materials, and the capture and reuse of waste heat for electricity generation.

An active contributor to the electronics thermal/thermo-mechanical management community, Dr. Fleischer has served on the executive committee of the American Society of Mechanical Engineer’s Electronics and Photonics Packaging Division (EPPD) and chaired the ASME Heat Transfer Division K-16 Technical Committee on Electronics Thermal Management. She has been recognized as the ASME EPPD Women Engineer of the Year, and awarded the ASME K-16/ EPPD Clock Award for her outstanding and continuing contributions. Dr. Fleischer also has been an associate editor of the Journal of Heat Transfer and the Journal of Electronic Packaging.

At Villanova University, Dr. Fleischer received the Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award, led the steering committee of the McNulty institute for Women’s Leadership and founded Villanova’s “Engineering is for Girls! Day.” During her 18 years with the College, she has advised 21 graduate students and mentored 45 undergraduate research projects.

Offering his congratulations, Gary A. Gabriele, PhD, Drosdick Endowed Dean of Villanova’s College of Engineering, says: “For the past dozen years, Villanova and the College of Engineering have successfully achieved new highs in fund raising, alumni and industry engagement, significant growth in our masters and PhD programs, and brought in many new faculty members who will help us reach even greater heights in the future. Dr. Amy Fleischer has been a contributor, a leader and valued colleague in the College during this very dynamic time. While we will miss Amy personally and professionally, Cal Poly’s College of Engineering is in excellent hands.”