Cristina H. Amon is a mechanical engineer, academic administrator and was the 13th dean of the University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. She was the Faculty's first female dean. Prior to her appointment at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institu ...

in 2006, she was the Raymond J. Lane Distinguished Professor and director of the Institute for Complex Engineered Systems at

Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One of its predecessors was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools; it became the Carnegie Institute of Technology ...

Education

Amon graduated with a diploma in

mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, ...

from Venezuela's Simón Bolívar University in 1981. She went on to graduate studies at the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern t ...

, completing a

Master of Science A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast ...

(MSc) in 1985 and a

doctor of science Doctor of Science ( la, links=no, Scientiae Doctor), usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D., or D.S., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries, "Doctor of Science" is the degree used f ...

(ScD) in 1988.

Research

Amon is a pioneer in the development of

computational fluid dynamics Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a branch of fluid mechanics that uses numerical analysis and data structures to analyze and solve problems that involve fluid flows. Computers are used to perform the calculations required to simulate t ...

(CFD) for thermal design solutions in systems with multidisciplinary competing constraints. She has made contributions to concurrent thermal designs,

electronics cooling Electronics cooling encompasses thermal design, analysis and experimental characterization of electronic systems as a discrete discipline with the product creation process for an electronics product, or an electronics sub-system within a product (e. ...

and transient thermal management of

wearable computer A wearable computer, also known as a body-borne computer, is a computing device worn on the body. The definition of 'wearable computer' may be narrow or broad, extending to smartphones or even ordinary wristwatches. Wearables may be for general ...

s and

electric vehicle An electric vehicle (EV) is a vehicle that uses one or more electric motors for propulsion. It can be powered by a collector system, with electricity from extravehicular sources, or it can be powered autonomously by a battery (sometimes c ...

s. Amon leads the University of Toronto's Advanced Thermal/Fluids Optimization, Modelling, and Simulation (ATOMS) Laboratory where she conducts research in nanoscale thermal transport phenomena in

semiconductor A semiconductor is a material which has an electrical conductivity value falling between that of a conductor, such as copper, and an insulator, such as glass. Its resistivity falls as its temperature rises; metals behave in the opposite way. ...

s, energy systems and

bioengineered Biological engineering or bioengineering is the application of principles of biology and the tools of engineering to create usable, tangible, economically-viable products. Biological engineering employs knowledge and expertise from a number o ...

devices. Amon's academic contributions include a number of highly cited book chapters and articles leading to an

h-index The ''h''-index is an author-level metric that measures both the productivity and citation impact of the publications, initially used for an individual scientist or scholar. The ''h''-index correlates with obvious success indicators such as ...

of over 51.

Career

Amon became an

assistant professor Assistant Professor is an academic rank just below the rank of an associate professor used in universities or colleges, mainly in the United States and Canada. Overview This position is generally taken after earning a doctoral degree and gene ...

in mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in 1988, and was promoted to

associate professor Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''. Overview In the '' North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is ...

in 1993 and

full professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professors ...

in 1997. In 1998, she was named the Associate Director of the Institute for Complex Engineered Systems, and became its Director in 1999. She became the Raymond J. Lane Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering in 2001. Her appointment as Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto began in 2006. She was appointed as Alumni Chair Professor in BioEngineering in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the same time. Amon is the Faculty's first female dean. Amon is committed to increasing diversity within the engineering profession. In 2017, she was selected as the opening speaker at the Women in Science and Engineering 2017 National Conference. Under Amon's leadership, female enrolment in the first-year cohort at U of T Engineering reached a record 40.1% in 2016. Amon was also instrumental in bringing the Centre for Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CEIE) to life. The building will be the future hub of the Faculty's collaborative learning and interdisciplinary research. Construction began in 2015.

Honors and awards

Amon holds a number of honours and awards. She is a life fellow of the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an American international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsi ...

and

American Society of Mechanical Engineers The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is an American professional association that, in its own words, "promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe" via "continuing ...

(ASME). She is a fellow of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering,

American Society for Engineering Education The American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) is a non-profit member association, founded in 1893, dedicated to promoting and improving engineering and engineering technology education. The purpose of ASEE is the advancement of education ...

(ASEE), and

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a 501(c)(3) professional association for electronic engineering and electrical engineering (and associated disciplines) with its corporate office in New York City and its operat ...

. She received several awards from the ASEE, including the prestigious 1997

George Westinghouse George Westinghouse Jr. (October 6, 1846 – March 12, 1914) was an American entrepreneur and engineer based in Pennsylvania who created the railway air brake and was a pioneer of the electrical industry, receiving his first patent at the age o ...

and 2002 Ralph Coats Roe Awards. In 2003, she received the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Education Award and, in 2005, she was named one of America's most important Hispanics in technology and business. In 2006, she was elected as a member into the

National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Engineering is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of ...

. In 2015, Amon received the Ontario Professional Engineers Gold Medal from

Professional Engineers Ontario Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO; known until 1993 as the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario, APEO) is the self-regulatory body that governs Ontario's 85,000 professional engineers, and sets standards for and regulates engineering ...

and the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers. In 2017, she received the

Engineering Institute of Canada The Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC) (French: l'Institut canadien des ingénieurs; ICI) is a federation of fourteen engineering societies based in Canada, covering a broad range of engineering branches, and with a history going back to 1887. F ...

's Sir John Kennedy Medal. Her editorship roles include the ASME ''Journal of Heat Transfer'',

IEEE The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a 501(c)(3) professional association for electronic engineering and electrical engineering (and associated disciplines) with its corporate office in New York City and its operati ...

''Transactions on Components and Packaging Technology'', and ''Frontiers in Heat and Mass Transfer''. Amon is featured in the Notable Women in Computing cards.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Amon, Cristina American mechanical engineers American people of Venezuelan descent Living people Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellows of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Fellows of the American Society for Engineering Education MIT School of Engineering alumni Simón Bolívar University (Venezuela) alumni Carnegie Mellon University faculty University of Toronto faculty Computational fluid dynamicists Fellow Members of the IEEE Year of birth missing (living people) Members of the Order of Canada People from Montevideo Women engineers