CHICAGO, Aug. 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) announced today the recipients of its annual awards program. The program recognizes innovators and leaders who are supporting the enrichment and advancement of women in the engineering community from industry to education. SWE award recipients include professionals and collegiates from influential businesses, corporations and universities across the globe.

“The men and women recognized this year have made significant contributions to the engineering community,” said Jonna Gerken, president of SWE. “They are leaders, inspiring the current and future generation of STEM professionals, and paving the way to empowerment for women engineers everywhere.”

This year’s award recipients will be recognized at WE17, the world’s largest conference and career fair for women engineers, Oct. 26-28, 2017 in Austin, Texas. The conference gathers over 11,000 professional and collegiate men and women for professional development, education and networking.

The awards recipients are as follows:

Achievement Award – The highest award given by SWE, bestowed for an outstanding technical contribution for at least 20 years in the field of engineering.

• Frances H. Arnold, Ph.D., California Institute of Technology

Advocating Women in Engineering Award – Honors individuals who have demonstrated professional excellence in their chosen STEM fields and have proven to be an advocate of women in engineering and SWE’s objectives.

• Andrew Alleyne, Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Imelda G. Castro, Intel Corporation
• Heidi Millard Kenkel, John Deere
• Corlis D. Murray, Abbott
• Cynthia S. Reid, P.E., LORD Corporation

Distinguished Engineering Educator Award– Presented to an individual who has made significant contributions to the engineering profession through education.

• Deborah J. O’Bannon, P.E., Ph.D., F.SWE, F.ASCE, University of Missouri – Kansas City

Distinguished Service Award – Recognizes a SWE member or associate member who has made a significant contribution(s) to SWE for at least 20 years, especially at the local and regional levels or on Society-level committees.

• Susan Thomas Schlett, Sikorsky Aircraft/Trinity College
• Janet Williams, F.SWE, Sandia National Laboratories

Emerging Leader Award – Honors individuals who have been actively engaged in an engineering or technology profession, and have demonstrated outstanding technical excellence as an individual resulting in significant accomplishments.

• Nikki Bishop, Siemens
• Erin M. Carroll, Intel Corporation
• Jill A. Entner, Torrance Refining Company, LLC, a subsidiary of PBF Energy Inc.
• Kelly D. Hahn, Sandia National Laboratories
• Christine M. Predaina, Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Jennifer Reich, Honeywell Aerospace
• Moushumi Shome, The Boeing Company
• Shannon Vittur, Medtronic
• Justyna Zander, Ph.D., NVIDIA Corporation
• Kira Zdunek, Caterpillar Inc.

Fellow Grade – Honor conferred on SWE members in recognition of continuous service to the advancement of women in the engineering profession.

• Cecilia (Ceal) D. Craig, Ph.D., Druai Education Research
• Jude Garzolini, Boise State University
• Kim O’Rourke, The Boeing Company

Global Leadership Award – Honors an individual who has made an outstanding contribution in the field of engineering and/or technical management in an international setting.

• Maryann Combs, General Motors
• Karen Ramsey-Idem, Ph.D., Cummins Inc.
• Liz Ruetsch, BSEE, MBA, Keysight Technologies

Global Team Leadership Award – Presented to a team with women in technical leadership roles that meet or exceed project objectives while demonstrating innovative thinking to overcome global challenges.

• Intel Global Water Conservation Team led by Irina Belozerova, Ph.D., Intel Corporation

Outstanding Collegiate Member Award – Bestowed upon SWE collegiate members who have made an outstanding contribution to SWE, the engineering community and their campus.

• Erin Baumgartner, Chico State University
• Paige Bowling, Colorado School of Mines
• Kelsey A. Harper, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
• Emily E. Hoffman, Ph.D., Northwestern University
• Iris Jing, The University of Texas at Austin
• Genevieve A. Kane, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Jeannie Marshall, The University of Alabama
• Catherine Martsolf, EIT, LEED GA, Temple University
• Holly McTaggart, University of Louisville
• Sarah Watzman, The Ohio State University

Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award – Celebrates an outstanding contribution by a SWE advisor to a SWE collegiate section.

• Diane L. Peters, P.E., Ph.D., F.SWE, Kettering University

Outstanding SWE Counselor Award – Bestowed upon a member who has made an outstanding contribution to a SWE collegiate section as a Counselor.

• Casey Waggy, Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corporation

Prism Award – Recognizes an individual who has charted her own path in the STEM fields by demonstrating a variety of outstanding career leadership activities in a technical field, as well as leadership in professional organizations and the community.

• Joan Chinnery, P.E., The Boeing Company
• Lisa Depew, McAfee
• Colleen M. Layman, P.E., HDR, Inc.
• Leslie M. Phinney, Ph.D. Sandia National Laboratories
• Anna Prakash, Ph.D., Intel Corporation

Resnik Challenger Medal Award – Established in 1986 to honor SWE’s Dr. Judith A. Resnik, NASA Mission Specialist on the ill-fated Challenger space shuttle flight on January 28, 1986. Acknowledges a specific engineering breakthrough or achievement that has expanded the horizons of space exploration.

• Terri Taylor, Honeywell Aerospace

Rodney D. Chipp Memorial Award – Celebrates the work of a man or company who has made a significant contribution to the acceptance and advancement of women in engineering.

• Mark W. Albers, ExxonMobil Corporation
• Doug Roberts, John Deere

Spark Award – Honors an individual who has contributed to the advancement of women by mentoring those around them.

• Marie S. Cole, IBM Corporation
• Mary Driver, Lockheed Martin Corporation
• Beverly Louie, Ph.D., University of Colorado - Boulder
• Lynn Mortensen, Raytheon Company (Retired)
• Heather Savage-Erickson, Medtronic

Suzanne Jenniches Upward Mobility Award– Celebrating an individual’s rise to success and contribution to the decision-making process within their organization.

• Denise Johnson, Caterpillar Inc.

SWE Distinguished New Engineer Award – Honors women engineers who have been actively engaged in engineering in the first 10 years of their careers.

• Maria Cecília de Castro Breda, John Deere
• Stephanie W. Chin, Intel Corporation
• Stephanie DeCotiis, P.E., H2M architects + engineers
• Jenna Harpole, John Deere
• Cassi Janakos, Healthy Horizons
• Melissa Peskin, P.E., Dominion Voltage, Inc.
• Sadaf Qazi, Raytheon
• Erika D. Rodriguez, Ph.D., Jacobs Technology at NASA Ames Research Center
• Kate Hull, Spire Consulting Group, LLC
• Jennifer Tullai, GE Transportation

Work/Life Integration Award – Celebrates an individual who has worked to create programs that help women engineers and other employees balance the commitments of career, life and family.

• Cindy Hoover, Spirit AeroSystems

For more information about the Society of Women Engineers, visit www.swe.org. For more information about WE17, visit we17.swe.org.  

About SWE
The Society of Women Engineers (SWE), founded in 1950, is the world’s largest advocate and catalyst for change for women in engineering and technology. The not-for-profit educational and service organization is the driving force that establishes engineering as a highly desirable career aspiration for women. To ensure SWE members reach their full potential as engineers and leaders, the Society offers unique opportunities to network, provides professional development, shapes public policy and provides recognition for the life-changing contributions and achievements of women engineers. As a champion of diversity, SWE empowers women to succeed and advance in their personal and professional lives. For more information about the Society, please visit www.swe.org or call 312.596.5223.

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