2020 Named Drosdick Endowed Dean, Villanova University College of Engineering 2018 Named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors 2017 Publishes Academic Entrepreneurship: How to Bring Your Scientific Product to a Commercial Discovery (Wiley) 2016 Receives Alliance for Women Entrepreneurs Award 2014 Appointed Drexel University MSE Department Head; Co-founded MiMecore 2011 InvisALERT Solutions Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer 2010 Appointed Senior Associate Vice Provost for Translational Research 2 2009 Named Associate Dean for Intellectual Property Development 2006 Appointed Associate Vice Provost for Research 2005 Founding President of the Philadelphia Spine Research Society 2002 GELIFEX Chairman and Co-founder (sold to Synthes Spine, 2004) 1997 Joins Drexel University Faculty in Materials Science and Engineering 1995 PhD, Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania 1992 MS, Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania 1989 MSME, Drexel University 1986 BSME, University of Delaware
ACADEMIC AND INDUSTRY INNOVATOR DR. MICHELE MARCOLONGO TAKES THE REINS
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hen searching for the College of Engineering’s new dean, University Provost Dr. Patrick Maggitti and a committee of faculty, students and alumni were focused on finding “an individual who champions innovative teaching and scholarship, appreciates the opportunities of engineering to positively impact society, and has extensive experience working with major research corporations and agencies.” They found all of this and more in Dr. Michele Marcolongo. “Under Dean Marcolongo’s leadership, I envision even more support and opportunities for our world-class faculty to advance their research. Dean Marcolongo will also help raise the profile of the College among engineering schools at the top national universities. And we will expand our already robust student research opportunities, offering undergraduate and graduate students meaningful, hands-on experiences with our first-rate teacher-scholars,” says Dr. Maggitti. “In short, with Dean Marcolongo at the helm, I expect that the College of Engineering will continue to build upon its storied legacy and ascend to even greater heights.” Dr. Gerard “Jerry” Jones, senior associate dean for Graduate Studies and Research adds: “Dean Marcolongo has an unenviable job of leading during this unprecedented time while simultaneously learning about Villanova and its unique culture. I genuinely admire her ability to listen and appreciate the knowledge, insights and efforts of others. As someone who has started several successful bioengineering companies, I expect our entrepreneurial programs will grow under her direction.”
MEET THE DEAN Having earned degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University and the University of Delaware, Dr. Marcolongo first established herself in industry, working for General Electric Aerospace and DePuy DuPont Orthopaedics, where she developed her expertise in biomedical engineering. After joining Drexel University’s College of Engineering in 1997, she steadily rose through the faculty ranks, eventually holding a number of leadership positions, while at the same time co-founding three medical startup companies. Dr. Marcolongo officially began her tenure as Villanova Engineering’s dean on July 31, 2020. “I couldn’t be happier to be here,” she says sincerely. When asked for her first impressions of the College, Dean Marcolongo is quick to acknowledge the “warm and collaborative community and the total dedication to students.” Providing those students with “the best possible undergraduate experience in a variety of dimensions with a focus on learning by doing” is one of her main priorities, along with ensuring faculty and graduate students have all the resources they need to facilitate their research and scholarship. Continuing to strengthen the bonds between faculty, staff, students and alumni is also top of mind. She adds, “I’m particularly excited about the opportunities for the College under the University’s new strategic plan, namely significantly increasing our physical space—the CEER (Center for Engineering Education and Research) expansion—and supporting our programming, which includes the research enterprise.”
