Episode 19: Dr. Michele Marcolongo - Purpose, Persistence, and Performance in STEM Leadership

About this episode

Dr. Michele Marcolongo discusses her leadership philosophy and transformative experiences in STEM leadership.

In this episode of Lead Change, Dr. Michele Marcolongo joins host Mary K. Mulcahey for a powerful conversation about leadership, innovation, mentorship, and purpose-driven work in academia and engineering. Dr. Marcolongo shares her personal journey from aerospace engineering to biomaterials research following the loss of her mother to cancer, a transformative experience that inspired her to dedicate her career to developing medical technologies that improve patient care. The discussion explores her leadership philosophy as Dean of Engineering at Villanova University, including servant leadership, strategic vision-setting, mentorship, and creating a culture of respect and collaboration. Dr. Marcolongo also highlights groundbreaking initiatives at Villanova, including sustainable engineering integration, new biomedical engineering programs, and the innovative Sports and Performance Engineering master’s program. Throughout the episode, she reflects on lessons learned from influential leaders, the importance of humility, balanced with confidence, and how thoughtful leadership can drive meaningful institutional and societal change. Key Takeaways Leadership is most effective when…

People in this episode

Host: Mary K. Mulcahey

Guest: Dr. Michele Marcolongo

Topics covered

• leadership
• STEM
• mentorship
• innovation
• academic culture
• medical technologies

Keywords

• leadership
• STEM
• mentorship
• innovation
• medical technologies
• Villanova University
• biomaterials

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Villanova University, Sports and Performance Engineering, biomedical engineering, aerospace engineering

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