Individuals in Engineering and Technology Recognized by the Society of Women Engineers for STEM Achievements & Community Contributions

(Chicago, IL)— The Society of Women Engineers today announced the recipients of its annual awards program, a nod to those movers and shakers who are making significant contributions to the STEM community and the advancement of women in engineering. SWE award recipients include professionals, collegiates, and groups from influential businesses, corporations, and universities across the globe.

This year’s award recipients will be recognized at WE25, the world’s largest conference and career fair for women engineers and technologists on October 23-25, 2025, in New Orleans. They will also be celebrated in the WE25 Virtual Awards Hall. The conference will gather more than 18,000 professional and collegiate individuals in engineering and technology for professional development, education, and networking. 

“We’re thrilled to recognize this year’s SWE award recipients at WE25 in New Orleans, where the theme is ‘Embrace Your Story.’ These honorees exemplify the mission of SWE through their achievements, leadership, and service to the engineering and technology community across the globe. Each of their stories is a powerful reminder of the impact engineers can have in shaping our world and inspiring others. Congratulations to all of our winners,” said Inaas Darrat, FY26 SWE President.

The 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.

The top APEX award recipients are below. A listing of all awardees can be found on the SWE All Together blog: https://alltogether.swe.org/2025/08/2025-swe-awards-recipients.

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

•  Priti Wanjara, Ph.D., National Research Council Canada

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 awardee(s) 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.

• Michelle Carey, The Boeing Company
• Deanna Duram, Trinity Consultants
• Aileen Fahme, Solar Turbines
• Kelly Meredith, Lockheed Martin
• Anne Ryerson, John Deere

Distinguished Engineering Educator Award – This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman, who has made significant contributions for at least twenty (20) years, with at least ten (10) years of instructional experiences in the fields of engineering, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering.

• Marca Lam, Ph.D., Rochester Institute of Technology
• Tsu-Jae Liu, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley
• Anne Lucietto, Ph.D., F.SWE, SWE Members-At-Large Section

Entrepreneur Award – This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman, who went out on their own to start and/or maintain their own engineering, engineering technology or science related to engineering-based business, and in doing so, serves as a role model to all women who have ever risked financial security for the possibility of uncertain rewards.  The entrepreneur has demonstrated a conviction to dreams and a willingness to make them happen. The awardee(s) will be an entrepreneur who is skilled in technical, business planning, administrative, and financial techniques, and excels in business leadership.

• Emily Morris, Emrgy Inc.

Resnik Challenger Medal Award – The Resnik Challenger Medal was established in 1986 to honor SWE’s Dr. Judith A. Resnik, NASA Mission Specialist on the ill- fated Challenger space shuttle flight on January 28, 1986. It is awarded only as merited for visionary contributions to space programs to an individual who identifies as a woman. This award acknowledges a specific engineering breakthrough or achievement that has expanded the horizons of human activities in space. 

• Cindy Schulz, Lockheed Martin

Rodney D. Chipp Memorial Award – This award honors an individual who identifies as a man, who has contributed significantly for at least twenty (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 awardee(s) may have increased the recruitment, hiring, promotion, or retention of women engineers or women engineering students. The awardee(s) may also have encouraged, sponsored, 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.

• Azad M. Madni, Ph.D., University of Southern California
• David Parrillo, Ph.D., Dow
• Manoj Verma, John Deere India Pvt Ltd.

Spark Award – This award honors an individual who has contributed to the advancement of women by mentoring those around them. The awardee(s) 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 awardee(s) must have experience in the fields of engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering.

• Ramak Asgari, Lockheed Martin
• Delia Contreras, Honeywell
• Deepa Krishnan, IBM
• Annita McCurdy, Exxon Mobil Corporation
• Kay Taylor, Cummins Inc.

Suzanne Jenniches Upward Mobility Award – This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman, who has made outstanding contributions for at least twenty (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 awardee has created a nurturing environment for other women in the workplace.  Northrop Grumman Corporation has endowed this award.

• Guayente Sanmartin, HP Inc.

 For more information about the Society of Women Engineers, visit www.swe.org.