Prior to joining Dartmouth in 2019 as Thayer School of Engineering's 13th dean, Abramson was the Milton and Tamar Maltz Professor of Energy Innovation at Case Western Reserve University and served as a member of the mechanical and aerospace engineering faculty since 2003. From 2013 to 2018, she led the university’s Great Lakes Energy Institute, which focuses on research aimed at creating sustainable energy technology solutions. During the Obama administration, she served as chief scientist and manager of the Emerging Technologies Division at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Program, which invests in the research, development, and commercialization of energy-efficient and cost-effective building technologies. In 2018, she served as technical adviser for Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a $1 billion effort launched by Bill Gates to combat human-driven climate change. Abramson’s research has focused on novel techniques for thermal characterization of nanostructures, the design and synthesis of unique nanomaterials for use in alternative energy applications, virtual energy audits for building energy efficiency, and strategies to accelerate technology commercialization at universities and research institutions. She earned her bachelor of science and master of science degrees in mechanical engineering from Tufts University and her PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

Alexis Abramson Faculty Profile