Ilene Busch-Vishniac is an American-born mechanical engineer and university administrator. She served as Dean of the Whiting School of Engineering at

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hemisphere. It consi ...

from 1998 to 2003 then resigned the position to serve as President of the

Acoustical Society of America The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is an international scientific society founded in 1929 dedicated to generating, disseminating and promoting the knowledge of acoustics and its practical applications. The Society is primarily a voluntary org ...

(ASA), an elected non-gratis position, from 2003 to 2005. She served as Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs at

McMaster University McMaster University (McMaster or Mac) is a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main McMaster campus is on of land near the residential neighbourhoods of Ainslie Wood and Westdale, adjacent to the Royal Botanical Ga ...

from 2007 to 2012, and as President of the

University of Saskatchewan A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United State ...

from 2012 to 2014. In 2018 she joined startup Sonavi Labs as Chief Innovation Officer. She has written research papers for the

ASME 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 ...

on matters related to

tribology Tribology is the science and engineering of interacting surfaces in relative motion. It includes the study and application of the principles of friction, lubrication and wear. Tribology is highly interdisciplinary, drawing on many academic fi ...

. Busch-Vishniac received her bachelor's degree in physics and mathematics (magna cum laude) from the

University of Rochester The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The University of ...

in 1976. She then received her master's degree in 1978 and her PhD in 1981, both in mechanical engineering from the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of th ...

University of Saskatchewan

In December 2011, Busch-Vishniac was selected as the ninth President of the University of Saskatchewan, replacing

Peter MacKinnon R. Peter MacKinnon, (born 1947) is a Canadian lawyer and legal academic. MacKinnon served as the president of the University of Saskatchewan from 1999 to 2012. On 1 July 2014, he was named as the interim president of Athabasca University. On 15 ...

with effect from July 2012. On May 21, 2014, she was "terminated without cause" from her position amid national criticism surrounding the Provost's decision, Brett Fairbairn, to dismiss and end the tenure of an executive director who had openly criticized the university's leadership while Busch-Vishniac was away. Busch-Vishniac criticized the decision the next day, and invited the former executive director to return as a professor. In June, 2015, Busch-Vishniac filed a lawsuit over her firing seeking $8.5 million in damages, naming Saskatchewan Premier,

Brad Wall Bradley John Wall (born November 24, 1965), is a Canadian former politician who served as the 14th premier of Saskatchewan from November 21, 2007 until February 2, 2018. He is the fourth longest-tenured premier in the province's history. His so ...

, former Minister of Advanced Education,

Rob Norris Rob Norris is a former Canadian politician and retired government relations officer. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan from 2007 to 2016 as a member of the Saskatchewan Party, and formerly a member of the Saskatchewan ...

, as well as the university and Board of Governors and alleging that both the Premier and former Minister unlawfully influenced the Board's decision in her firing. The University is also accused of violating its bylaws when it terminated her contract. As of 2019, the lawsuit is ongoing.

Awards and honors

Busch-Vishniac received the ASA Silver Medal in Engineering Acoustics in 2001 for her work in developing novel

electret microphone An electret microphone is a type of electrostatic capacitor-based microphone, which eliminates the need for a polarizing power supply by using a permanently charged material. An ''electret'' is a stable dielectric material with a permanently em ...

s and of precision micro-electro-mechanical sensors and positioners. She was elected a Fellow of the

(ASA) in 1987, and also received the ASA R. Bruce Lindsay Award.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Busch-Vishniac, Ilene McMaster University faculty Presidents of the University of Saskatchewan Living people Academics in Saskatchewan Educators from Philadelphia People from Saskatoon Johns Hopkins University faculty University of Rochester alumni MIT School of Engineering alumni Fellows of the Acoustical Society of America Year of birth missing (living people) American women academics 21st-century American women