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Today the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) announced the recipients of its annual awards program, celebrating the trailblazers driving progress within the STEM community and championing the advancement of women in engineering. The 2024 SWE awards honorees include collegiates and professionals from leading companies, organizations, and academic institutions around the world.

“I’m so excited to be able to celebrate these phenomenal award winners this October in Chicago at WE24 where the theme is ‘Together We Rise,'” said Karen Roth, FY25 SWE president. “We received well over a thousand submissions, and this group of awardees showed us how they embody the mission of SWE and inspire others along the way across the global landscape. These truly are some of the best engineers and scientists in the world. Congratulations!”

This year’s award recipients will be recognized at WE24, the world’s largest conference and career fair for women engineers and technologists on Oct. 24-26 in Chicago. More than 18,000 professional and collegiate individuals in engineering and technology are expected to attend WE24 for professional development, networking opportunities, inspiration, and on-site job interviews.

You can find the full list of recipients below and on the SWE awards website.

In 2024, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) restructured its annual awards program to better reflect the organization’s key priorities, including global inclusivity, advocacy, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEI&B). This restructuring led to the creation of two distinct programs that honor women and allies in STEM: the SWE Awards Program and the SWE Recognition Program.

The SWE Awards Program celebrates high levels of achievement among those who identify as women and allies at all career stages in engineering, engineering technology, or science related to engineering. The new SWE Awards Program consists of two levels:

Apex Awards: Represents SWE’s highest level of awards, honoring individuals with 20+ years of professional experience.
Ascent Awards: Encompasses all other significant achievements. These awardees range from students to mid-career professionals and typically have less than 20 years of experience.

Separately, the SWE Recognition Program acknowledges additional achievements by SWE sections and affiliates, as well as those who identify as women and allies in engineering, engineering technology, or science related to engineering.

Apex Awards

Achievement Award

As the highest award given by the Society of Women Engineers, this award honors an individual who identifies as a woman and has made significant and progressive technical contributions for at least 20 years in the fields of engineering, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering.

Lori Zipes, Naval Sea Systems Command

Advocating Women in Engineering Award

This award honors an individual who has demonstrated professional excellence for at least 20 years in engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering and has proven to be an advocate of women in engineering. The nominee must be in a position of influence within their current organization and/or community and have demonstrated passion in supporting women in engineering and SWE’s Mission.

Uma Bruegman, The Aerospace Corporation
Kenyatta Dial, Dow
Shawn Emerson Simmons, Ph.D., Exxon Mobil Corporation
Sara Rosner, Intel
Kristan Soto, Dow

Distinguished Engineering Educator Award

This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman and has made significant contributions for at least 20 years, with at least 10 years of instructional experiences in the fields of engineering, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering.

Gretchen Hein, Ph.D., Michigan Technological University
Katy Kao, Ph.D., San José State University
Diane Peters, P.E., Ph.D., F.SWE, Kettering University

Distinguished Service Award

This award honors a SWE member with at least 20 years as a professional SWE member and experience in engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering who has made significant contributions to the Society of Women Engineers at any level of the Society.

Jennifer Chen Morikawa, General Motors
Cecilia Craig, Ph.D., F.SWE
Vicki Johnson, Ph.D., F.SWE, Spirit AeroSystems (Retired)
Gail Mattson, P.E., F.SWE, Longeneker & Associates Inc.
Vivienne L. McKitrick, P.E., Quixote Enterprises

Fellow Grade

This award honors a SWE member with at least 20 years as a professional SWE member who has achieved professional excellence, while also making significant and long-term contributions towards advancing the mission, objectives, and goals of the Society. The nominee will have contributed significantly to the public’s awareness of engineering as a profession for women and informing employers, the profession, and the public of women’s contributions to the fields of engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering.

Heather Doty, BAE Systems Inc.
Allison Goodman, Intel
Kerrie Greenfelder, P.E., Burns & McDonnell
Dayna Johnson, P.E., Ecolab
Sandra Mandawe Paglieroni, LGC Wireless (Retired)
Susan Schlett, Sikorsky Aircraft
Tuyet-Hanh Schnell, Lockheed Martin
Patricia Walker, Medtronic

Resnik Challenger Medal Award

This award was established in 1986 to honor SWE’s Dr. Judith A. Resnik, NASA mission specialist on the ill- fated Challenger space shuttle flight on Jan. 28, 1986. It is awarded only as merited for visionary contributions to space programs to an individual who identifies as a woman with at least 10 years of experience. This award acknowledges a specific engineering breakthrough or achievement that has expanded the horizons of human activities in space.

Julie Huffman, Ph.D., Lockheed Martin

Rodney D. Chipp Memorial Award

This award is presented to an individual who identifies as a man and has contributed significantly for at least 20 years to the acceptance and advancement of women in the fields of engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering. The nominee may have increased the recruitment, hiring, promotion, or retention of women engineers or women engineering students. The nominee may also have encouraged, sponsored or developed professional training/development programs, and created a supportive environment for women engineers in the workplace or women engineering students in a college or university.

Michael Bzdak, Ph.D., Johnson & Johnson
Kelly Schmitz, Cummins Inc.
Chandramouli Vijjhala, John Deere

Spark Award

This award honors an individual who has contributed to the advancement of women by mentoring those around them. The nominee will have made a difference in the lives of many by affecting women at a variety of levels ranging from primary and secondary schools through more senior levels in relation to their position. The nominee must have at least 20 years of experience in the fields of engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering.

Claudia Callegari, IBM
Assaldra Oates, Lockheed Martin
Anna Prakash, Ph.D.
Lisa Underwood, HP Inc.
Jennifer Walck, Exxon Mobil Corporation

Suzanne Jenniches Upward Mobility Award Endowed by Northrop Grumman Corporation

This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman, has made outstanding contributions for at least 20 years in the field of engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, and/or science related to engineering, and has succeeded in rising within their organization to the level of, at a minimum, general manager or equivalent upper management position. The nominee has created a nurturing environment for other women in the workplace. Northrop Grumman Corporation has endowed this award.

Maria Demaree, Lockheed Martin

Ascent Awards

Catalyst Award

This award honors an individual who has contributed to the advancement of women by mentoring those around them. The nominee will have made a difference in the lives of many by affecting women at a variety of levels ranging from primary and secondary schools through more senior levels in relation to their position. The nominee must have less than 10 years of experience in the fields of engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering.

Avery Brooks
Kruthika Narendran, P.Eng, P.E, IBM
Nayleth Ramirez, RTX
Deepthi Patil Udaya Kumar Patil, The Boeing Company
Haley WolfBader, The Boeing Company

Distinguished Engineer Award

This award honors a SWE member with 10-20 years as a professional SWE member and has demonstrated professional excellence in engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering, leadership in SWE, as well as professional organizations and/or the community.

Stephanie Chin, Intel
Julia Clarke, P.E., Raba Kistner Inc.
Sandra Kolvick, P.E., GE Vernova
Jennifer LaVine, Sikorsky Aircraft
Jennifer Lynch, IBM (Retired)
Ashley Pietz, BAE Systems Inc.
Lisa Woodward, P.E., Colorado School of Mines

Distinguished New Engineer Award

This award recognizes a SWE member with less than 10 years as a professional SWE member and has demonstrated professional excellence in engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering, leadership in SWE, as well as professional organizations, and/or the community.

Aarti Agarwal, John Deere
Andrea Aragues Lima, John Deere
Dipti Bapat, Cummins Inc.
Sreyoshi Bhaduri, Ph.D., Amazon
Megan Bredehorst, Medtronic
Rachel Carter, The Boeing Company
Kaitlin Chapman, Medtronic
Ria Dash, HP Inc.
Elizabeth Gjini, Schneider Electric
Emily Hoffman, Ph.D., Ambit Inc.
Shela Joyce, Johnson Controls
Maya Makhlouf, Ford Motor Company
Liz Mathew, Caterpillar Inc.
Kaitlyn Mores, P.E., Burns & McDonnell
Ozioma Ozigbo, Wolfspeed
Sharayu Sonwalkar, P.E., John Deere
Tiffany Tang, Crane Aerospace & Electronics
Sneha Tewari, John Deere
Swetha Vinjimoor, Abbott
Sarah Wakumoto, P.E., Dow

Distinguished Global Leader Award

This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman and has made a significant contribution as a global leader for at least 15 years in their engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related engineering organization. The nominee has created a nurturing environment for women of different cultures in the workplace, as well as demonstrated leadership in professional organizations and the community.

- Honorata Hencel, The Boeing Company
- Ailie Jane MacAdam, Bechtel
- Tonya Stockman, Ph.D., Dow

Emerging Advocate Award

This award honors an individual who has demonstrated professional excellence for less than 10 years in engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering and has proven to be an advocate of women in engineering. The nominee must be in a position of influence within their current organization and/or community and have demonstrated passion in supporting women in engineering and SWE’s Mission.

Priya Dadd-Cannon, Whirlpool Corporation
Sylvie DeLaHunt, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Joyanna Mazzone, Lockheed Martin
Erin Rasmussen, Intel
Breigh Renner, United States Air Force Academy Preparatory School

Emerging Ally Award

The award honors an individual who identifies as a man and has contributed significantly for less than 10 years to the acceptance and advancement of women in the fields of engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering. The nominee may have increased the recruitment, hiring, promotion, or retention of women engineers or women engineering students. The nominee may also have encouraged, sponsored or developed professional training/development programs, and created a supportive environment for women engineers in the workplace or women engineering students in a college or university.

Thomas Carey, Ph.D., United States Air Force Academy Preparatory School

Emerging Engineering Educator Award

This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman and has made contributions for five to 10 years, with at least three years of instructional experiences in the fields of engineering, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering.

Joanna Tsenn, Ph.D., Texas A&M University

Emerging Global Leader Award

This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman and has made a significant contribution as a global leader for five to 10 years in their engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related engineering organization. The nominee has created a nurturing environment for women of different cultures in the workplace, as well as demonstrated leadership in professional organizations and the community.

Samantha Garrabrant, BD
Sarah Lima, Whirlpool Corporation
Geetika Purohit, John Deere
Loriane Tachon Parisot, Dow

Employer Champion Award

This award honors an employer that has contributed significantly to the acceptance and advancement of women in the fields of engineering, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering. The employer may have increased the recruitment, hiring, promotion, or retention of women engineers or women engineering students. The employer may also have developed professional training/development programs and created a supportive environment for women engineers in the workplace or women engineering students in a college or university.

Abb
Wabtec Corporation

Engaged Advocate Award

This award honors an individual who has demonstrated professional excellence for 10-20 years in engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering and has proven to be an advocate of women in engineering. The nominee must be in a position of influence within their current organization and/or community and have demonstrated passion in supporting women in engineering and SWE’s Mission.

Lennis Perez, Sulzer
Elisha Rios, Merck & Co. Inc.
Arlyne Simon, Ph.D., Intel
Jennifer Tullai, Wabtec Corporation
Erin Vogel, Ph.D., Dow

Engaged Ally Award

The award honors an individual who identifies as a man and has contributed significantly for 10-20 years to the acceptance and advancement of women in the fields of engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering. The nominee may have increased the recruitment, hiring, promotion, or retention of women engineers or women engineering students. The nominee may also have encouraged, sponsored or developed professional training/development programs, and created a supportive environment for women engineers in the workplace or women engineering students in a college or university.

- Amit Sood, Whirlpool Corporation
- Tanmay Vyas, Cummins Inc.
- Timothy Weller Jr., Nestlé

Engineering Educator Award

This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman and has made significant contributions for 10-20 years, with at least five years of instructional experiences in the fields of engineering, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering.

Beth McGinnis-Cavanaugh, Springfield Technical Community College

Global Leader Award

This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman and has made a significant contribution as a global leader for 10-15 years in their engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related engineering organization in a global setting. The nominee has created a nurturing environment for women of different cultures in the workplace, as well as demonstrated leadership in professional organizations and the community.

Elma Avdic, Cummins Inc.
Gloria Moncada, Exxon Mobil Corporation
Mansi Shah, P.Eng, The Boeing Company

Ignite Award

This award honors an individual who has contributed to the advancement of women by mentoring those around them. The nominee will have made a difference in the lives of many by affecting women at a variety of levels ranging from primary and secondary schools through more senior levels in relation to their position. The nominee must have 10-20 years of experience in the fields of engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering.

Elizabeth Benson, The Boeing Company
Janaki Gadiyaram, Wabtec Corporation
Michele Johnson, Whirlpool Corporation
Erica Redline, Ph.D., Sandia National Laboratories
Wei Zhu, Cummins Inc.

Outstanding Collegiate Member Award

This award is presented to an undergraduate SWE collegiate member with at least two years of SWE collegiate involvement and has made an outstanding contribution to SWE, other engineering organizations, the community, and their campus.

Abigail Ahn, University of Michigan
Anagha Atawale, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Allison Berkholz, University of Michigan
Skyler Brawley, Michigan Technological University
Amy Chen, University of Michigan
Jasmine Creswell, Clemson University
Hunter Grace Fairfax, The University of Alabama
Aditi Gurudutt, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Ella Hart, The University of Alabama
Vaishnavi Himakunthala, University of California, Santa Barbara
Allie Huszcza, Virginia Tech
Isabella Legovich, Rensseler Polytechnic Institute
Elizabeth Mentel, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Isabelle Montilla, University of Michigan
Grace Peterson, Wichita State University
Siya Scindia, Carnegie Mellon University
Mallory Smith, The Ohio State University

Outstanding Counselor Award

This award honors a SWE member who has made an outstanding contribution to a SWE collegiate section or affiliate as a counselor and served as a link for the SWE collegiate section or affiliate to other SWE groups, such as local professional sections or affiliates, MALs, affinity groups, or society committees.

Abosede Adewole, Ph.D., Federal Housing Authority
Zaineb Ahmad, Collins Aerospace, an RTX Business

Outstanding Graduate Student Member Award

This award honors a SWE graduate student who has made an outstanding contribution to SWE, engineering societies, the community, and their campus.

Ivy Kwok, University of California, Los Angeles
Lucero Lopez, University of Michigan
Bukola Oni, Ph.D., Iowa State University
Jiachun Shi, Ph.D., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Amanda Stone, Purdue University

Pathfinder Award

This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman and has been actively engaged for 10-15 years in the fields of engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering. The nominee must have demonstrated significant professional leadership in a technical field, as well as leadership in professional organizations and the community.

Aline Bartz Weschenfelder, John Deere
Carrie Bobier-Tiu, Ph.D., Woven by Toyota Inc.
Hayley Brown, Ph.D., Dow
Faezeh Gholami, Ph.D., IBM
Mrinal Karvir, Intel
Shweta Katakde, P.E., Cummins Inc.
Nelie Loufakis, Ph.D., Dow
Jordan Mahoney, Lockheed Martin
Meredith Mulder, Kautex, a Textron Company
Mandeep Phull, IBM
Amber Resa, Bell Textron Inc.
Harshada Thombare, Whirlpool Corporation
Elizabeth Walker, General Motors
Kayla Williams, Dow

Prism Award

This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman and has made significant contributions for at least 15 years in engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering. The nominee must have demonstrated a variety of outstanding career leadership activities in a technical field, as well as leadership in professional organizations and the community.

Ana Paula Appel, Ph.D., IBM
Mythili Belle, Honeywell
Rajani Boddu, Wabtec Corporation
Khanjari Kumbhar, Burns & McDonnell
Kjersta Larson-Smith, Ph.D., The Boeing Company
Hang Loi, 3M (Retired)
Lotheronie Raby, Dow
Pratima Rao, Ph.D., Lam Research
Annapurna Vishwanathan, Cummins Inc.

Rising Collegiate Star Award

This award honors an undergraduate SWE collegiate member with less than two years of SWE collegiate involvement and has made an outstanding contribution to SWE, other engineering organizations, the community, and their campus.

Kat Basile, University of Michigan
Mia Eisenberg, The University of Alabama
Gabriella Gaston, The University of Alabama
Lucie Kovarik, University of Michigan
Ally Lewis, The Ohio State University
Nadia Ludwig, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Madalyn Nguyen, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Prabhleen Pawar, University of Michigan
Zahrah Qureshi, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Vyomini (Mona) Vakil, University of Michigan

Rising Technical Contributor Award

This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman and has been actively engaged for less than five years in the fields of engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering as a professional or graduate student. The nominee must have demonstrated outstanding technical performance and/or leadership in a technical field, as well as leadership in professional organizations and the community.

Sakshi Aher, John Deere
Shannon Amarello, General Dynamics
Haley Antoine Grantham, Toyota Motor North America Inc.
Kiyomi Arimitsu Takemoto, The Boeing Company
Claudia Berdugo-Díaz, Ph.D., Dow
Taycia Brandon, Medtronic
Courtney Cowger-Robles, RTX
Rosa Lizbeth Flores, John Deere
Leela Goel, Ph.D., Shockwave Medical
Sarah Jane Graham, Boston Scientific
Abby Kerber, Kansas City National Security Campus
Sora Lee, Ph.D., Intel
Katie Lenz, HP Inc.
Ruei-Ting Miau, HP Inc.
Meena Nagappan, RTX
Annaliza Perez Torres, Lockheed Martin
Julia Reilly, DuPont
Stephanie Tu, The Boeing Company

Trailblazer Award

This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman and has been actively engaged for five to 10 years in the fields of engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering. The nominee must have demonstrated outstanding technical performance and/or leadership in a technical field, as well as leadership in professional organizations and the community.

Mahi Agrawal, John Deere
Tara Baker, Spirit AeroSystems
Rashmi Daksh, John Deere
Rebecca Friesen, Ph.D., Texas A&M University
Garima Gautam, Intel
Pola Goldberg Oppenheimer, Ph.D., University of Birmingham
Nishigandha Kelkar, Stanford University
Anusha Kotha, Intel
Shradhdha Sarvaiya, Mercury Marine, a division of Brunswick Corporation
Ayushi Shah, John Deere
Rebecca Siegelman, Ph.D., DuPont
Amanda Smies, United States Air Force
Nikita Tiwari, Intel

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2024 SWE Awards Recipients Recognized for Driving Progress and Advancement in STEM

Apex Awards

Ascent Awards

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