Dr. Kristina Ropella, Opus Dean of the Opus College of Engineering at Marquette, has announced her intention to retire at the end of summer 2027 after 37 years with the university, President Kimo Ah Yun announced today.
Ropella was named Opus Dean of the Opus College of Engineering in 2014 and was the first female dean in the college’s history. Prior to that, she was executive associate dean from 2013-14 and chaired Marquette’s biomedical engineering faculty from 2004-13. Ropella was the first woman to be named full professor and department chair in the college.
“Dr. Ropella has been an exceptional leader, trailblazer and champion of engineering education, and Marquette University and the Opus College of Engineering owe her deep gratitude for the thousands of students’ lives she has impacted,” President Ah Yun said. “On behalf of the university, I wish to congratulate Dr. Ropella on a remarkable career and wish her a happy and fulfilling retirement.”
“Engineering education at Marquette is forever changed because of the effect Dr. Ropella has had on the curriculum, student development, partnerships with industry and interdisciplinary mindset,” said Provost Debbie Tahmassebi. “Generations of Marquette Engineers are making a profound difference in the world in large part because of Dr. Ropella’s mentorship and innovative leadership.”
“It has been an honor and privilege to serve Marquette as a professor, department chair and dean, providing resources and creating culture where everyone can thrive. Our students have always been at the heart of my work, and I am forever grateful to have been touched by their lives and stories,” Ropella said. “I am also grateful for the amazing colleagues who have accompanied me on my journey and have trusted in me to lead an outstanding engineering college fueled by the spirit, courage and humility of St. Ignatius and love for one another.”
Throughout her 13 years as Opus Dean, Ropella has strived to change the face of engineering and to position the Opus College of Engineering as a leader in interdisciplinary leadership and innovation rooted in the university’s Catholic, Jesuit mission. During her tenure, the college has had record research grant funding and has raised over $130 million in philanthropic gifts.
Ropella has led creation of innovative educational programs including the Joint Functional Imaging Ph.D. program with the Medical College of Wisconsin, a biocomputer engineering major, a GAANN Graduate Fellowship Program in Functional Imaging, and the Marquette and MCW Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering. She founded and is the faculty director of Excellence in Leadership (E-Lead) program, a three-year innovation leadership development curriculum for undergraduate students.
Ropella has served as the lead investigator on several grants from the GHR Foundation focused on innovation and transformation in engineering education, including re-envisioning the Opus College curriculum and co-curricular programming to strengthen student success, align with industry needs, support faculty development and build on the Catholic and Jesuit tradition. Ropella also continues to champion initiatives such as the E-Lead Program, Global Engineering, Engineering Scholars and the Engineering Student Success Center, securing significant donor support and driving strategic growth.
A recognized expert on leadership, innovation and expanding diversity in STEM fields, Ropella regularly speaks at conferences and events and in the media. She is especially passionate about accelerating women into leadership and preparing the next generation of engineers with technical and leadership skills grounded in Ignatian values.
She was named Wisconsin Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Ropella received the Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, Women of Influence, and STEM Forward’s Engineer of the Year awards and the Kern Family Foundation’s Outstanding Dean award. In 2023, she received the Imprint award from Professional Dimensions and was a Betty Award Groundbreaker honoree from Milwaukee Magazine.
A fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), Ropella currently serves on external advisory boards for Boston College, George Washington University and Texas A&M, and previously served on advisory boards for Boston University, Georgia Tech, Duke University, and the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Medical College of Wisconsin, and Board of Directors at Milwaukee’s St. Augustine Preparatory Academy and Divine Savior Holy Angels (DSHA) High School. She is past board member of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School and the Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee. She was certified as a Gallup Strengths Coach in 2022.
Throughout her time at Marquette, Ropella sought to open doors for others, provide the resources for others to succeed, provide a community of support for leaders from underrepresented populations, and has been a strong proponent for the Marquette University Child Care Center to provide on-site childcare for working parents. She credits her early success at MU on the availability of high-quality childcare.
Ropella received her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Marquette University and master’s and doctoral degrees in biomedical engineering from Northwestern University.
Marquette will conduct a national search for the next Opus Dean of the Opus College of Engineering. Watch Marquette Today for updates.
