SWE - Fall 2008 - (Page 49)

neering, environmental engineering, and civil engineering. Endowed by wealthy Houston businessman William Marsh Rice in the late 19th century, Rice Institute held its first classes in 1912. The name was changed to William Dr. Sallie Keller-McNulty became dean of Marsh Rice the George R. Brown School of University Engineering at Rice University in 2005. in 1960. With about 3,000 undergraduates, 2,000 graduate students, and 600 faculty members, Rice is highly ranked nationally both for academic standards and for value among private institutions. The George R. Brown College of Engineering includes eight departments and awards about 160 bachelor’s degrees, 100 master’s degrees, and 60 doctorates annually. Pathways to deanship When she was growing up, Dr. Blanchard wanted to be a teacher, so she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and a teaching certificate from Oberlin College. “I was a late bloomer in terms of my career,” she said. “I married in college and had two children by the time I was 24. I did not start graduate school until I was turning 32, but I finished both the M.S. and Ph.D. in biomedical engineering at Duke University before my 36th birthday in spite of starting the program without an undergraduate degree in engineering.” After completing her doctorate, she worked for a private company and as a researcher at the Duke medical school before moving to the biomedical engineering department at Duke. When her Duke colleagues relocated to Alabama, Dr. Blanchard moved to North Carolina State University, just down the road from Duke in Raleigh. At NCSU, she chaired departmental and university committees and led the development of a B.S. degree in biomedical engineering. Professional society activities helped Dr. Blanchard develop leadership skills and opened doors for job opportunities. “One of my earliest professional decisions was to get involved in a professional society — IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society — at the national level,” noted Dr. Blanchard. “Within a short period of time, I was on the board, which led to an opportunity to become the first paid director of the society.” After serving in the staff role for a few years, she stepped down to become a volunteer again, including a term as president. Attending a Women in Engineering Leadership Institute summit in 2004, where she met several women deans and department chairs, was a pivotal experience for Dr. Blanchard. It inspired her to consider moving into a higher-level leadership position. “I looked at and listened to these women and thought, ‘I can do this!’” she said. “I was subsequently nominated for a division director position at NSF. In the process of applying for that position and having discussions with my husband, we realized that we were no longer geographically challenged and that I could look around to see what other positions were out there. The FGCU ad was written for me!” Dr. Claiborn took a somewhat more direct route to her current position. After earning a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, she worked in the oil fields for six years pursuing her goal of solving the energy crisis. “I really enjoyed it,” Dr. Claiborn noted. “There were great people to work with, I had a great boss, and got to do a lot of technical work. But I got to the point where I had to decide on the next step, which would have been into management and require moving around the country. I decided to stay technical and work in a uni- Dr. Candis Claiborn became dean of versity setting; the College of Engineering and Architecture at Washington State my Ph.D. University in 2006. focused on environmental issues.” She joined WSU as an assistant professor after completing her doctorate and rose through the ranks there, serving as associate dean for research and graduate programs and as interim dean before being appointed dean in 2006. Dr. Keller-McNulty’s degrees are in math and statistics. She pursued an academic career, “I decided to stay technical and work in a university setting; my Ph.D. focused on environmental issues.” Candis Claiborn SWE FALL 2008 49

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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