The American Society of Mechanical Engineers recently awarded Tahira Reid Smith a Dedicated Service Award. Credit: Penn State
Tahira Reid Smith earns service award from American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Feb 18, 2025
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Tahira Reid Smith, the Arthur L. Glenn Professor of Engineering Education and Associate Department Head for Inclusive Research and Education in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, received a Dedicated Service Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The award honors voluntary service to ASME for at least 10 years marked by outstanding performance, demonstrated effective leadership, prolonged and committed service, devotion, enthusiasm and faithfulness, according to ASME.
“Professor Reid Smith's dedication and contributions to the field of engineering are truly inspiring,” said Tonya Peeples, Harold and Inge Marcus Dean of Engineering and professor of chemical engineering. “This award is a testament to her hard work, passion and commitment to making a difference.”
Alongside the other awardees, Reid Smith will be honored at the third annual ASME Women Engineering Change event on March 20 in Washington, D.C.
Women Engineering Change, a program developed by the ASME Foundation, celebrates the outstanding women making strides in engineering today, with more than 200 ASME members gathering to recognize progress towards equity in the field. The proceeds of this event will go toward ASME’s Campaign for Next Generation Engineers, supporting programs in engineering education, early-career development and breakthrough innovations in the field.
A professor of both mechanical engineering and engineering design at Penn State, Reid Smith received her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and her doctorate in design science from the University of Michigan. Prior to her time at Penn State, Reid Smith spent over a decade teaching mechanical engineering at Purdue University. She is a fellow of the ASME, a former fellow of the Big Ten Academic Alliance Academic Leadership Program and has been featured on primetime shows like PBS NOVA to discuss her engineering experiences.
In addition to her academic pursuits, Reid Smith is the founder and president of Jump Dreams, a startup focused on the production of an automated double dutch jump rope machine.
Her work is featured at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, in an exhibit titled Change Your Game, which can be found in the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation in Washington, D.C.
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