Center for Engineering Outreach and Inclusion announces annual awards

5/6/2020

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State College of Engineering’s Center for Engineering Outreach and Inclusion (CEOI) has announced their annual awards. Every year, the CEOI honors students, faculty and staff with various awards in each of the following categories: multicultural engineering; women in engineering; student research and graduate equity; and student transitions and pre-college programs.

The winners, from first-year students to faculty members to programs/organizations, were recognized for achievements in leadership, mentorship, research and advocacy. Award recipients have shown their determination and commitment to advancing equity and inclusion by dedicating their time to the CEOI in order to have a positive impact on the College of Engineering.

“We are so proud to recognize these highly deserving individuals,” said Tonya Peeples, associate dean for outreach and inclusion and professor of chemical engineering. “All of the winners have accomplished incredible things to advance the College of Engineering’s mission to increase equity and build community.”

Here are the 2020 award recipients:

Multicultural Engineering Awards

2020 Emerging Leader
Isabella Perez, first-year student
2020 Outstanding Leader
Julia Solaheiro, materials science and engineering senior
Felix Amon, mechanical engineering senior
2020 Outstanding Mentor
Johnathan Vicente, mechanical engineering junior
Honorable Mention: Abigail Keppel, mechanical engineering senior
Honorable Mention: Millo Dutervil, mechanical engineering sophomore
Honorable Mention: Sokhna “Soso” Wane, computer science sophomore

Women in Engineering Awards

2019-20 WEP Outstanding Academic Facilitators
Maria Ellis, electrical engineering junior
Elizabeth Trautman, biomedical engineering junior
Nadine Barrie Smith Outstanding Mentor Award
The Nadine Barrie Smith Outstanding Mentor Award for women in engineering is endowed by Andrew Webb in honor of his wife, Nadine Barrie Smith, who unexpectedly passed away at the age of 48. She was a founding member of the Penn State Department of Biomedical Engineering and a member of the Graduate Program in Acoustics. As one of the few women faculty in engineering, she faced many challenges working in a male-dominated environment and overcame them with determination, hard work, humor and sheer talent. The Nadine Barrie Smith Mentor Award recipient is an upper-level woman engineer who, like Nadine Barrie Smith, has devoted significant time and resources to mentoring other female students in their quests to become better students, people and engineers.
Bridget Corso, computer engineering junior
Abigail Keppel, mechanical engineering senior
Malaree Scott, civil engineering junior
Molly Sizemore, architectural engineering senior
Joelle Award for Women in Engineering Leadership
The Joelle Award for Women in Engineering Leadership recognizes outstanding leadership contributions by a woman undergraduate to the College of Engineering. The award is endowed by Edward and Jane Liszka in honor of her parents, Joseph and Eleanor Munafo. Joelle is a combination of their first names. The Joelle recipient is an upper-level woman engineer who has an outstanding record of leadership, service and citizenship that positively affects the climate for women in the College of Engineering and/or at the University.
Kahley McBeth, computer science senior
First Runner-Up: Lauren Katch, engineering science and mechanical engineering senior
First Runner-Up: Kayli Rentzel, mechanical engineering senior

Student Research and Graduate Equity Awards

2020 Outstanding Graduate Student
Adriyel Nieves, electrical engineering master’s student
2020 Outstanding Graduate Mentor
Jiayang “Jerry” Liu, engineering science and mechanics doctoral candidate
Honorable Mention: Sooyeon Lee, information sciences and technology doctoral candidate
2020 Outstanding Mentor
Yiqi Zhang, assistant professor of industrial and manufacturing engineering
Honorable Mention: Brad Sottile, lecturer in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
2020 Emerging Researcher
Carlos Abarca, mechanical engineering sophomore
Honorable Mention: Luna Morales, first-year student
2020 Outstanding Undergraduate Research Achievement
Emma Hocker, engineering science and mechanics senior
Honorable Mention: Andrew White, mechanical engineering senior

Student Transitions and Pre-College Program Awards

2020 Campus Outreach Faculty Advocate
Nestor Handzy, associate teaching professor, Department of Mathematics
2020 Change of Campus Peer Mentor
Jesly Berrios, materials science and engineering senior
2020 Pre-College Program by a Department
Anything is POssible for Girls in Electrical Engineering Camp (APOGEE), electrical engineering
2020 Pre-College Program by a Student
Dia de Ciencias, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers