Professional Experience:
- Dean, College of Engineering and Mathematical Science
- Professor, Mechanical Engineering
- University of Vermont
Biography:
Dr. Linda S. Feist is currently the Dean of the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences at the University of Vermont. She graduated from Cornell University in 1985 with a B.S. in materials science and engineering and received a PhD in materials science and engineering in 1990 from the University of Pennsylvania. She has been in academia for her career and is passionate about teaching, research and educational outreach. Linda has lived on Lake George as a part time resident since she was 2 years old, and like many of us, finds her soul renewed when she spends time in the Adirondacks. Thus, her commitment to the Fund for Lake George is a combination of her commitment to lake preservation, and her interest in using her background in science to support the Board’s decisions.
Research Interests:
Feist is an experimentalist and her research has focused on the behavior of two-phase systems, primarily polymer composites. Her interests currently include the mechanical, optical, and electrical behavior of nanofilled polymer composites. Feist has co-authored more than 170 journal publications, several book chapters, and one book. The connection to environmental preservation is only in that sense that some of the materials she has developed can be used to improve the efficiency of electrical generation and transmission, or in creating lighter vehicles for improved fuel efficiency. Linda is a current member of the Materials Research Society Board of Directors, and was an associate editor for the Journal of Materials Research. She is a former member of ASM International’s Board of Trustees and the National Materials Advisory Board.
Active Memberships/Societies:
- ASM International (Fellow)
- Materials Research Society (Fellow)
- Society of Plastics Engineers
- TMS
Notable Publications:
As part of her commitment to outreach, she was one of the executive producers for the Molecularium – a style of planetarium show that takes the audience (primarily students in K-5) on a magical musical adventure into the world of atoms and molecules with the help of oxy, hydro and hydra (www.molecularium.com). Children learn that “everything is made of atoms and molecules” and about the three states of matter “solids slow, liquids flow, gas is fast!”