Fischer received a B.S. degree from Wheaton College and a Ph.D. degree (in Chemistry) from the University of Illinois. He served as a Professor of Chemistry at Indiana University for fifteen years, was the founding Dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at California State University, Dominguez Hills for sixteen years, and was Provost and Senior Vice President at Biola University for ten years. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and also of the American Scientific Affiliation.