CHICAGO, Aug. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) announced today the recipients of its annual awards program, a nod to the movers and shakers who are making significant contributions to the STEM community and the advancement of women in engineering. SWE award recipients include professionals and collegiates from influential businesses, corporations and universities across the globe.

“The men and women recognized have lived and learned through significant contributions to the engineering community, and they continue to lead in their careers and personal lives,” said Cindy Hoover, president of SWE. “They are leaders paving the way to empower and inspire future women engineers across the globe.”

This year’s award recipients will be recognized at WE19, the world’s largest conference and career fair for women engineers, Nov. 7-9, 2019 in Anaheim, Calif. The conference will gather more than 14,000 professional and collegiate men and women in engineering and technology for professional development, education and networking. The awards recipients will be recognized at the WE Awards banquet on Nov. 8, 2019 or the WE19 Celebrate SWE! Ceremony on Nov. 9, 2019.

The awards recipients are as follows:

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.

• Blythe Gore Clark, Ph.D., Sandia National Laboratories
• Katherine J. Herrick, Ph.D., Raytheon Company
• Jennifer Howland, IBM Corporation
• Marilyn Tears, ExxonMobil
• Marilee J. Wheaton, F.SWE, The Aerospace Corporation

Distinguished Service Award – Recognizes a SWE member who has made a significant contribution(s) to SWE for at least 20 years at all levels of the Society.

• Mary Higgins Studlick, P.E., F.SWE, ExxonMobil, Retired

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

• Elif Ertekin, Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Britta Jost, Caterpillar Inc.
• Jamie Krakover, The Boeing Company
• Jennifer LaVine, Sikorsky Aircraft - A Lockheed Martin Company
• Jessica Mattis-Carolan, General Motors
• Kate Maxwell, Raytheon Company
• Alexis McKittrick, Ph.D., IDA Science & Technology Policy Institute
• Heather A. Spinney, Ph.D., Dow Inc.
• Orietta Verdugo, Intel Corporation
• Kristen White, Keysight Technologies

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

• Cindy L. Dahl, P.E., ONAMI, Inc.
• Jonna Gerken, Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies Company
• Rachel A.B. McQuillen, P.E., CME Associates, Inc.
• Michele O'Shaughnessy, U.S. Department of Energy, Savannah River Site
• Deborah Stromberg, Intel Corporation
• Frances Stuart, Retired
• Carol J. Weber, Caterpillar Inc

Global Leadership Award – honors a person who has worked in and led an internationally based engineering, scientific or technology-based business or organization, and in doing so, serves as a role model to women engineers and technologists worldwide.

• Tamara Hedgren, Deere & Company
• Tami Heilman-Adam, Dow
• Elisabeth C. Martin, The Boeing Company

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

• Global Team - Standardized RFID System for Medical Device Implant Tracking, Johnson & Johnson
• Islands Energy Program, Rocky Mountain Institute
• Liza Phase 1 Project Team, ExxonMobil

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

• Haley Antoine, Cornell University
• Megan Beck, Northwestern University
• Carolyn Chlebek, Cornell University
• Shelby Ann Freese, California State University, Chico
• Cecilia Klauber, Texas A&M University
• Kathryn Lockhart, Bradley University
• Shwetha Rajaram, University of Michigan
• Meredith Lucy Richardson, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Mujan Seif, University of Kentucky
• Stephanie Tu, Rutgers University

Outstanding Faculty Advisory Award – bestowed upon a leader who has made an outstanding contribution to a SWE collegiate section as an advisor.

• Helene Finger, Ph.D., P.E., Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo

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

• Maira Garcia, Honeywell Aerospace

Prism Award – Recognizes an individual who has charted her own path throughout her career, providing leadership in technology fields and professional organizations along the way.

• Karen Devine, Ph.D., Sandia National Laboratories
• Lynda Grindstaff, F.SWE, McAfee
• Kayleen L. E. Helms, Ph.D., Intel
• Colleen O'Shea McClure, The Boeing Company
• Susan B. Orr, Medtronic

Resnik Challenger Medal – acknowledges a specific engineering breakthrough or achievement that has expanded the horizons of space exploration.

• Meg Abraham DPhil, Ph.D., The Aerospace Corp

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.

• Scott A. Ashford, Ph.D., P.E., Oregon State University
• Gregory L. Hyslop, D. Sc., The Boeing Company
• Jennifer Rumsey, Cummins Inc.

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

• Stacy Kalisz Johnson, Keysight Technologies
• Reiko A. Kerr, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
• Leslie L. Oliver, Solar Turbines - A Caterpillar Company
• Karen Tokashiki, Northrop Grumman
• Mary C. Verstraete, Ph.D., F.SWE, The Universtiy of Akron, Retired

Suzanne Jenniches Upward Mobility Award – Celebrating an individual’s rise to success and contribution to the decision-making process and has created a nurturing environment for other women in the workplace within their organization.

• Carol Malnati, Medtronic

SWE Distinguished New Engineer Award – honors women who have demonstrated outstanding technical performance, as well as leadership in professional organizations (SWE) and the community, in the first ten years of their career.

• Katharine Brumbaugh Gamble, Ph.D., U.S. Government
• Alya Elhawary, Lockheed Martin
• Anne Maher, Medtronic
• Kimberly Miller, Cereal Partners Worldwide
• Sarvenaz Myslicki, American Express
• Sowmya Nagesh, Caterpillar Inc
• Elaine Reeves, E.I.T., Microsoft Corporation
• Megan B. Schulze, P.E., PMP, Dewberry

Work/Life Integration Award – honors an individual who has been instrumental in establishing a landmark program for their organization to improve the ability of women engineers and other employees to integrate or balance work and family responsibilities.

• Roble Alanis, John Deere

For more information about the Society of Women Engineers, visit www.swe.org. For more information about WE19, visit we19.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.

Media Contact: Anna Souhrada, David James Group, (630) 305-0003 x303, asouhrada@davidjamesgroup.com