Annual Student Awards

The Center for Engineering Outreach and Inclusion recognizes outstanding student contributions and leadership every spring semester.

Here are the spring 2021 recipients, organized alphabetically by program:

International Engineering Program (IEP)

IEP Photo Contest

International Engineering Programs (IEP), which helps engineering community better support international students, launched a photo contest to capture the full breadth of what college life looks like for students during COVID-19. Photo submissions from students captured daily life, virtual learning, daily life, research, time on campus, and remote experiences.

Chaitanya Gautam, first-year engineering
“Into the empty loop of the University Park”

Lorena Ribeiro, architectural engineering
“Powering teamwork despite the current pandemic”

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Multicultural Engineering Program (MEP)

Multicultural Engineering Program Emerging Leader Award

Multicultural Engineering Program Outstanding Leader Award

Multicultural Engineering Program Outstanding Mentor Award

Student Research and Graduate Equity

Outstanding Undergraduate Research Achievement

Outstanding Graduate Student Award

Student Transitions and Pre-College Programs

Outstanding Student Leader Award

The Outstanding Student Leader Award is presented to two graduating students who have exhibited continuous exemplary leadership, served as well-respected role models, and have persistently demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting Commonwealth Engineering Scholars.

Women in Engineering Program (WEP)

Joelle Leadership Award

The Joelle Leadership Award recognizes outstanding leadership contributions by an undergraduate to the College of Engineering. The award is endowed by Dr. Edward and Jane Liszka in honor of her parents, Joseph and Eleanor Munafo. Joelle is a combination of their first names. Heather Liszka, daughter of Jane and Edward Liszka, is a 1994 engineering science graduate and former Society for Women Engineers president. Heather is currently a family practice physician. The Joelle recipient is an upper-level engineering undergraduate with an outstanding record of leadership, service, and citizenship that positively affect the climate for women in the College of Engineering and/or in the University.

Recipient:

Runners up:

Nadine Barry Smith Mentor Award

The Nadine Barrie Smith Mentor Award is endowed by Dr. Andrew Webb in honor of his wife, Dr. Nadine Barrie Smith. Dr. Smith, who unexpectedly passed away, was a founding member of Penn State Department of Biomedical Engineering and a member of the acoustics graduate program. Dr. Smith was a world-renowned expert in the fields of medical imaging and therapeutic ultrasound. 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 undergraduate engineer who, like Nadine, has devoted significant time and resources to mentoring female students in their quests to become better students, people, and engineers.

The WEP Outstanding Academic Facilitator Award

The WEP Outstanding Academic Facilitator Award recognizes the extraordinary contributions of WEP Academic Facilitators who go above and beyond to engage their study group members in meaningful enrichment to ensure success in each course. WEP-Facilitated Study Groups team small groups of first- and second-year students with an upper-level engineering facilitator who has demonstrated academic excellence in that course.