Dr. Lisa Zidek was recently named dean of Anderson University’s College of Engineering.
Dr. Zidek comes to Anderson University with extensive experience in engineering education, most recently at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), where she served as associate dean, a title she has held since 2013. She has also served as academic program director and associate professor of Bioengineering. Previously she served as a consultant for various companies and government agencies.
Dr. Zidek earned a B.S in industrial engineering and an M.S. in mechanical engineering at Marquette University, also an M.S. in industrial engineering and a Ph.D. in industrial engineering with a specialization in health systems management, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“We are delighted that Dr. Zidek is joining our academic leadership team and faculty” said Anderson University Provost Ryan Neal, Ph.D. “Her experience, credentials, background and expertise are exactly what the College of Engineering needs.”
Dr. Zidek’s awards and recognitions include being nominated Engineer of the Year Under 40 and by the Milwaukee Senior Chapter of the Institute of Industrial Engineers and the Making a Difference for Women at MSOE award from the MSOE (Milwaukee School of Engineering) Women’s Connections program.
Dr. Zidek’s teaching experience at FGCU focused on Engineering Service Learning, Engineering Entrepreneurship and Health Care Engineering, where she coordinated the “Introduction to the Engineering Profession” course and was involved in many outreach programs at area K-12 schools.
Dr. Zidek is a program evaluator for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), which is the specialized accrediting body of college and university programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering and engineering technology. She has also served as a senior vice president of the Institute of Industrial Engineering (IIE) in the area of student development and is a past member of the IIE’s Board of Trustees. Additionally, she has been a member of the American Society for Engineering Education and Engineers Without Borders.
In addition, Dr. Zidek has served on the Florida Gulf Coast University College of Education Ed Tech Advisory Board, was Affiliate Director for Project Lead the Way, was a member of the Lee County STEM at Work Foundation Board, Collier County National Academy Foundation Advisory Board and was Co-Director of the Institute for Entrepreneurship. She has received grant funding for several engineering education and entrepreneurship programs, including the funding for Bootcamp for Engineering and Mathematics (BEaM).
Dr. Zidek has published several articles in scholarly journals about engineering education and has contributed chapters to the books Women in Industrial and Systems Engineering and Learning in the Computer and Information Sciences: Practical Applications in Engineering Education. She has also presented at conferences across the U.S. and in Spain; she has also conducted workshops and poster sessions.
Dr. Zidek begins her duties as dean of the College of Engineering on June 1, 2023.