Founding Professor & Founding Chair (2017-2022), Engineering
Wake Forest University
Winston Salem, North Carolina, United States
Olga Pierrakos is an academic entrepreneur, an innovative educator, an interdisciplinary engineer, an inclusive leader, an educational scholar, an ecosystem builder, a first-generation graduate, partner to an amazing spouse, mother of four, and a Christian. She served as the Founding Chair of Engineering at Wake Forest University from 2017 to 2022. During this time, WFU Engineering has been recognized for its inclusive hiring practices (60% female faculty, 25% faculty bring racial and ethnic diversity), for recruiting and retaining a diverse student body (42% female, 25% ethnic/racial diversity, 10%+ first generation), for curricular and pedagogical innovations, for inclusive excellence and agility in building the new department, for building strategic partnerships across the university and the region, and for incredible scholarly productivity. Olga has served or serves in leadership roles across and beyond WFU, including ABET, NSF, ASEE, AAAS, and the North Carolina Board of Science, Technology, and Innovation. As a biomechanical engineer and engineering education researcher, she conducts research in cardiovascular fluid mechanics and engineering education (engineering identity development, student motivation, problem-based learning, and adaptive expertise). With external funding totaling over $4 million and over 150 peer-reviewed publications, Olga is an innovative teacher-scholar. Prior to WFU, she served as Program Director in the Division of Undergraduate Education at the National Science Foundation (NSF). Prior to NSF, Olga served as a founding faculty of Engineering at James Madison University. Olga has BS and MS degrees in Engineering Science and Mechanics from Virginia Tech, and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the joint program between Virginia Tech and Wake Forest University.
Thursday, October 12, 2023
8:30 AM – 8:45 AM PDT
The Role of Licensure and Certifications for Practicing Biomedical Engineers
Friday, October 13, 2023
8:00 AM – 9:30 AM PDT