Message from the Dean

Dear Friends,

In Villanova’s College of Engineering, our mission is to educate society’s future innovators and technical leaders—those committed to serving the greater good and solving complex challenges by following the habits of the heart and mind.

A new initiative launched by the College epitomizes this mission. Through Sports & Performance Engineering, our faculty and students are advancing research that improves the human condition, from the achievements of youth, student or professional athletes to the performance of neurodivergent populations. Working as part of multidisciplinary teams with doctors and nurses, coaches and trainers, Villanova Engineers are designing innovations that prevent injury and optimize overall well-being—demonstrating that Caritas and cutting-edge technology can go hand in hand.

To further educational opportunities, the College has launched a master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering (BME). This cross-disciplinary program includes courses from Mechanical, Chemical and Biological, and Electrical and Computer Engineering—creating a crossroads for innovation in master’slevel education.

You’ll find examples of our BME-related work throughout this issue of Villanova Engineer, including undergraduate activities. A new campus group, Villanova University’s Engineering in Medicine and Biology, is expanding on the classroom experience with guest speakers, student talks and industry field trips. Lauren Iskander ’25 ChE, meanwhile, turned her research in a Villanova neuroscience lab into a prestigious fellowship through the Fulbright Canada–Mitacs Globalink Program. Her goal, she says, is “to do research in a field that will help as many people as possible.”

Both the master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering and our research initiatives in Sports & Performance Engineering are supported by the College’s 2023–2033 Strategic Plan, a roadmap that will help guide our decision making and investments for the next decade. And, of course, these initiatives and others will only be enhanced by our new building, Drosdick Hall, which was named this semester to honor the generosity of John G. Drosdick ’65 ChE.

Read on to see how Villanova Engineers are solving complex challenges while serving the greater good.

Michele Marcolongo, PhD, PE

Drosdick Endowed Dean of Engineering

Professor of Mechanical Engineering