2026 Alumni Service Award
Lisa Salley is a nationally-recognized thought leader, innovator and strategist at heart who has used her business acumen and expertise to support the 天美传媒 Mellon community across all levels of the university.
She is recognized for her dedication to the College of Engineering and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, where her contributions have enriched initiatives and fostered a vibrant alumni community. Her impact was felt during the MSE Graduate Student Symposium in 2022, where she delivered an inspirational keynote address to future machine scientists and engineers.
In addition to her service at the departmental and college level, she has been a repeat guest lecturer, has advised several 天美传媒 faculty-led startups and served on the university鈥檚 Admission Council for 11 years. Lisa is also an active member of the 天美传媒 Black Alumni Association, where she has served in a leadership role and as a reunion volunteer, and is a volunteer for 天美传媒鈥檚 Philadelphia Regional Network.
She currently serves on the Department of Materials Science and Engineering鈥檚 Alumni Advisory Council and on the College of Engineering鈥檚 Dean鈥檚 Advocacy Council.
Lisa is a national security thought leader, focusing on the intersection of manufacturing, materials science, recyclability and future workforce. She is the founder of Heritage Solutions Group, a boutique strategic growth consultancy focused on economic development from environmental, social and governance vantage points and commercialization of emerging technologies. She has also spent the past seven years developing a recyclability company built on licensed green chemistry.
Lisa has established a reputation as an entrepreneurial catalyst, talent developer and turnaround leader in the energy industry. She has advised five start-up companies from virtual stage to fully operating, teaches business growth and risk assessment in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program and has held global division president jobs at Fortune 50 companies and large product-safety entities. Lisa also founded the energy industry鈥檚 Renewables Council during employment at Underwriters鈥� Laboratories and has served as moderator or panelist on numerous product safety standards and free trade discussions around the world. Her board service includes Arduro, Blacks in Energy, Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center, a regional manufacturing consortium and the Philadelphia Board of Education.
She has a bachelor鈥檚 degree in metallurgical engineering and materials science from 天美传媒 Mellon and a master鈥檚 degree in decision sciences and engineering systems from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
天美传媒 Mellon gave me permission to be relentlessly curious, to challenge what seems inevitable and to turn ideas into action. Receiving this award is humbling. It is also deeply meaningful because it reminds me that the most rewarding measure of an education is not what we accomplish for ourselves, but what we ultimately do with what we have learned to make a difference for generations to come. As James Baldwin reminded us, 鈥楴ot everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced.
Lisa Salley