Jacqueline Linnes, the Marta E. Gross Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and director of the College of Engineering Honors Program, and Peristera Paschou, professor in biological sciences and associate dean in the College of Science, have been selected for the Class of 2022-2023 of Drexel University’s Executive Leadership in Academic Technology, Engineering and Science (ELATES) program. ELATES is a national leadership development program designed to promote women in academic STEM fields and faculty allies of all genders into institutional leadership roles.

The Class of 2022-2023 ELATES Fellows is a prestigious cohort of 30 faculty members from more than 25 institutions of higher education across the United States and Canada. The Fellows include experts in engineering, mathematics and science, all of whom have significant administrative experience on top of their scholarly accomplishments. Linnes and Paschou were nominated by senior leadership for this intensive yearlong program, which includes weekly personal and leadership development work as well as three series of on-site work in the Philadelphia area.

Jacqueline Linnes, the Marta E. Gross Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and director of the College of Engineering Honors Program

Linnes is an expert in human-centered design and engineering of point-of-care diagnostics. She is excited to learn new aspects of organizational leadership, vision setting and implementation in complex institutional structures.

“I am looking forward to using the ELATES Institutional Action Plan to further enrich the student experience in the Engineering Honors Program and promote communication and collaboration across the Engineering and Honors Colleges," Linnes said. "I am thankful to my mentors and nominators who provided the opportunity to become an ELATES fellow and to the University and College for their support of my participation in the ELATES program.”

Paschou leads multiple large-scale research efforts aiming to understand the genetic background of Tourette Syndrome and related neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood onset and also serves on the leadership team of the Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience. As associate dean for Graduate Education & Strategic Initiatives in the College of Science, she helps coordinate efforts to promote graduate education across seven departments and leads multiple initiatives to establish partnerships and dual degree programs with Minority Serving Institutions and international partners. She also is facutly director of the Emerging Leaders Science Scholars Mentoring Program.

“I am incredibly excited about the opportunity to connect with and learn from so many talented women leaders across the U.S., and I would like to thank Dean Patrick Wolfe for nominating me to the ELATES program,” Paschou said.

Peristera Paschou, professor in biological sciences and associate dean in the College of Science

Facilitated by leaders in the fields of STEM research and leadership development, the ELATES curriculum is focused on increasing Fellows’ personal and professional leadership effectiveness, from the ability to lead and manage change initiatives within institutions, to the use of strategic finance and resource management to enhance organizational missions. Pairing online instruction and discussion with intensive, in-person seminar sessions, the program encourages Fellows to apply what they’ve learned at their home institutions. Ultimately, it aims to create a network of exceptional faculty who bring broad organizational perspectives and deep personal capacity to the institutions and society they serve.

Sharon Walker, executive director of the ELATES program and dean of Drexel University’s College of Engineering, shares her excitement for welcoming the newest class of Fellows.

“I am thrilled to welcome this talented new cohort of ELATES fellows as they join the community of distinguished alumnae who are committed to lifelong learning and leadership development," Walker said. "I am excited to see what impact they will not only have this year on their home campuses, but more broadly to the higher education STEM community in the future.”

To learn more about ELATES at Drexel, visit ELATES online at Drexel.edu/ELATES.