SWE - Fall 2008 - (Page 36)

Suzanne Jenniches AAES Chair’s Award “Through organizations like SWE and the AAES and working with government, industry, and academia, we are seeing bright young women excel and grow as engineers in the professional community.” — Suzanne Jenniches, F. SWE, Northrop Grumman, Government Systems Division Priscilla Nelson AAES Kenneth Andrew Roe Award “My service at the National Science Foundation between 1994 and 2005 made many things possible, and I encourage other women to consider a ‘tour of duty’ at NSF — call it better a ‘tour of opportunity.’ ” — Priscilla Nelson, Ph.D., New Jersey Institute of Technology “Engineering Girl” Web site. ing contributions to the welfare of our nation, for her Likewise, Dr. Nelson has developed and coordicontinued advocacy in the advancement of the enginated many NSF activities and programs focused neering profession. As AAES chair in 2005, she led on diversity, including both the Professional the organization’s successful transition to a memberOpportunities for Women in Research and and program-focused engineering organization. Education and the Women in Engineering The AAES Kenneth Andrew Roe Award was conLeadership Institute. At NJIT, she has been coferred to Dr. Nelson, provost at the New Jersey principal investigator on an NSF ADVANCE grant Institute of Technology and noted geotechnical engiand has supported and initiated a wide variety of neer and disaster management specialist. The award campus activities relating to diversity. honors individuals who effectively promote unity among engineering societies. She accomplished this goal at NJIT and with earlier leadership positions at Promoting collaboration the National Science Foundation, most recently as Throughout her career Dr. Johnson has encoursenior advisor to the director of NSF. She also serves aged other women to consider engineering as a as chair for the engineering division at the American career. She has seen the need to attract women Association for the Advancement of Science. and underrepresented students into engineering Commenting on the significance of these honorees, Tortolani said, “The three A Model for Work/Life Balance awards heighten the awareKristina Johnson’s dedication to work/life balance came through clearly during her ness of the accomplishments Achievement Award acceptance speech at the 2004 national conference. She of women in engineering, endeared herself to those in attendance as she related stories about her college their noteworthy achieveyears, her career, and, most importantly, her devotion to her family. ments in the engineering In a moving tribute, Dr. Johnson said, “I learned from my mother the importance of eduprofession, and their accomcation, love, commitment, and compassion.” Drawing upon the strengths of these lessons, plishments in the communDr. Johnson became her mother’s caretaker after her mother had a stroke at age 80. ity. These awards also Her commitment was unwavering. Once, she declined a dinner invitation from a increase the awareness of the major customer, instead driving from Boulder, Colo., to Denver to spend time with her ability of women to succeed in the science and engineering mother. Although she almost turned around and headed back to join her customers fields, that women can and do and colleagues, she continued on to Denver, arriving just in time to share a dessert succeed in these fields, and with her mother. that there is a need for more During the evening, the two had an unforgettable conversation — the first they’d women in these fields.” shared in nearly two years. “Had I turned back, and not followed through on my commitment, I would have missed one of the most remarkable experiences of my life,” Change agents Dr. Johnson recalled. It is not surprising that all Dr. Johnson’s acceptance address appears in its entirety in the Winter 2005 issue three women are connected of SWE Magazine, pages 40-42. to SWE in some capacity. Dr. — Carol Polakowski, Associate Editor Johnson received SWE’s Achievement Award in 2004 and was nominated by SWE for the 2008 John change from a moral obligation to a pragmatic Fritz Medal. Jenniches was SWE president from need. “Engineering creates wealth and jobs for our 1988-1989. She became a SWE Fellow in 1994 and country and is crucial for our future survival,” she received SWE’s Achievement Award in 2000. Dr. said, noting that it is through the partnerships of Nelson spoke at an Academic Leadership Panel at NSF, NSBE, SWE, and other organizations that the SWE’s national conference in 2006. opportunities are “open and welcoming to indiThey have raised the status of women in engividuals who haven’t had the opportunity.” neering in the public eye. Betty Shanahan, CAE, Well known as a catalyst for new ideas, Dr. F. SWE, executive director and CEO of SWE, noted Nelson has long been active in promoting dialogue that the lack of visible role models has been an among professional and technical societies. obstacle to recruiting and retaining women in Working across federal agencies through the White engineering. “Recognition of a woman through an House Office of Science and Technology Policy, she award honors her for her accomplishments and developed and coordinated many cross-discigives both men and women role models. Beyond plinary activities at the NSF related to earthquakes their technical expertise and leadership skills, each and natural hazards, homeland security, critical of these women has a passion for our profession.” infrastructure, and cyberinfrastructure. While at Duke University, Dr. Johnson Jenniches feels strongly about the need for colincreased the engineering faculty by 50 percent, laboration. “We must do a better job to show engitripled the size of the teaching and research facilineering as an excellent career. Then we will have a ties, and tripled the number of women engineergreater impact on young people, parents, and ing faculty. Under her leadership, the undergradteachers,” she observed. Jenniches noted SWE is uate and graduate programs and research expendoing an excellent job in communicating the ditures more than doubled. importance of attracting more women and people Jenniches, who has actively supported women of color into engineering to members of Congress in engineering throughout her career, leads the and their staffs, and to educators at the K-12 and Electronics Systems International Campaign and university levels, but “there is only so much SWE the Diversity and Inclusion Council and has can do by themselves. It is a drop of water in an championed a K-12 educational outreach at ocean of what is needed. The way to make an Northrop Grumman. Since 1997, she has been impact is partnerships, which SWE is working chair of the National Academy of Engineering’s hard to establish.” I 36 SWE FALL 2008 NEW JERSEY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY NORTHROP GRUMMAN

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SWE - Fall 2008

SWE - Fall 2008 Heritage Club Contents Farewell Message from FY08 President Michelle Tortolani Congratulations SWE Magazine A Conversation with FY09 President Virginia Connolly, P.E. Introducing the FY09 Board of Directors View from the Executive Suite Editor's Page Public Policy Update SWE Retention Study, Part 6 Membership Information & Calendar A&B SWE Member Kristina Johnson First Woman to Receive John Fritz Medal University Labs Fuel a New Era in Energy Women Engineering Leaders in Academe 2008 Opening the Gateways to Engineering Your Collegiate Section History is Waiting to Be Discovered Honoring the Legacy of Ada Pressman, P.E. Report from WEPAN Engineering World Proposed Bylaws Amendments Point of View Correction Career Toolbox Corporate Partnership Council Book Review SWE Smiles In Memory Opportunity Index SWE Scrapbook

SWE - Fall 2008

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