The Society of Women Engineers October 2006 Achievement Award 50+ Years of Achievement & Inspiration aspire advance achieve aspire • advance • achieve Achievement Award Recipients Achievement Award Recipients Dr. Elaine S. Oran . .2006 Giuliana Cavaglieri Tesoro . .1978 Dr. Bonnie J. Dunbar . .2005 Mildred Spiewak Dresselhaus . .1977 Dr. Kristina M. Johnson . .2004 Ada I. Pressman . .1976 Dr. Mitra Dutta . .2003 Sheila E. Widnall . .1975 Dr. Umit Ozkan . .2002 Barbara Crawford Johnson . .1974 Judith A. Clapp . .2001 Irene Carswell Peden . .1973 F. Suzanne Jenniches . .2000 Nancy D. Fitzroy . .1972 Shirley E. Schwartz . .1999 Alva T. Matthews . .1971 Lisa C. Klein . .1998 Irmgard Flügge-Lotz . .1970 Ilene J. Busch-Vishniac . .1997 Alice Stoll . .1969 Barbara Liskov . .1996 Isabella L. Karle . .1968 Manijeh Razeghi . .1995 Marguerite M. Rogers . .1967 Elsa Garmire . .1994 Dorothy Martin Simon . .1966 Elsa Reichmanis . .1993 Martha J. B. Thomas . .1965 Evangelia Micheli-Tzanakou . .1992 Grace Murray Hopper . .1964 Julia Weertman . .1991 Beatrice Hicks . .1963 Lynn Conway . .1990 Laurence Delisle Pellier . .1962 Doris Kuhlmann-Wilsdorf . .1989 Laurel van der Wal . .1961 Roberta Nichols . .1988 Esther M. Conwell . .1960 Nance K. Dicciani . .1987 Désirée le Beau . .1959 Yvonne C. Brill . .1986 Mabel M. Rockwell . .1958 Y.C.L. Susan Wu . .1985 Rebecca H. Sparling . .1957 Geraldine V. Cox . .1984 Elise F. Harmon . .1956 Joan B. Berkowitz . .1983 Margaret H. Hutchinson . .1955 Harriett B. Rigas . .1982 Edith Clarke . .1954 Thelma Estrin . .1981 Elsie Gregory MacGill . .1953 Carolyn M. Preece . .1980 Maria Telkes . .1952 Jessie G. Cambra . .1979 SWE Achievement Award aspire • advance • achieve Foreword 2006 n 1952, the Society of Women Engineers conferred its highest tribute— I the Achievement Award—to Dr. Maria Telkes for her significant contri- butions in the field of solar energy. More than five decades ago, a promi- nent researcher and educator, who just happened to be a woman, had already made great advances in harnessing the energy source that today powers many of our satellites in space and our homes on earth. This booklet describes the outstanding women who have received the Achievement Award each year since 1952. They are practitioners, researchers, educators, and managers selected in consultation with nation- ally-prominent engineers, business executives and educators from outside the Society. They are the women whose achievements wrote our technolog- ical history and formed the foundation for our technological future. Within these pages you’ll find descriptions of many different kinds of achievements. Award recipients have trekked to the Antarctic to measure Dr. Elaine S. Oran In recognition for pioneering a computation technology that unifies ice formations, patented gold-plating processes for surgical needles, engineering, scientific, and mathematical disciplines into a enabled the synthesis of a rare natural product that formerly required methodology for solving reactive flow problems. extracts of 8,000 frogs for each very precious crystal. They’ve helped engi- neer the space race, designed weapon systems for the Cold War and defense, Achievements: Dr. Elaine Oran’s contribution to the advancement of the invented fire-proof fabrics and engineered automotive firsts. They’ve worked engineering profession stems from her pioneering work in computational to improve our environment, our water, and our daily lives. Collectively, they methods for solving complex reactive flow problems. As senior scientist at hold patents. the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, she invented and implemented algo- rithms and computational methods for accurate numerical simulations of Many have transferred their specialized knowledge to others as invited reactive flows. Her work on the deflagration-to-detonation process answered speakers, as members of advisory committees, on boards of technical and one of the major unsolved problems in combustion theory. engineering societies, and as revered educators at universities throughout the nation. They have served as role models and mentors for generations of Contributions: Knowledge of reactive flow behavior helps with the predic- tion of atmospheric conditions for naval communications and weather fore- engineers…and generations yet to come. casts. Dr. Oran’s work allowed other investigators to study a broad range of Envision also the community service and the juggling of career with family previously unexplained reactive flow phenomena. responsibilities. Many of the women featured here have made homes for Honors: Dr. Oran's work has been published extensively. She has received their husbands, daughters, and sons. All have contributed to their commu- the Dryden Distinguished Lectureship in Aerospace Research of the nities in such unheralded positions as scout leader, PTA president, 4-H American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Oppenheim Prize of Club founder, airport commissioner, or business women’s club president. the Institute of Dynamics of Energetic and Reactive Systems, the Zeldovich Gold Medal of the Combustion Institute, and many others. She was also In summary, the women who receive the prestigious Achievement Award elected to the National Academy of Engineering, and is a Fellow of both the have accomplished much more than can be covered in a booklet. Each American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the American recipient has, of course, added to her list of achievements and honors; but Physical Society. these have not been included so that each sketch would present a true pic- ture of the achievement which warranted this honor each year. Education: Dr. Oran received a B.A. in physics and chemistry from Bryn Mawr College, an M.Ph. from the dept. of physics and a doctorate from the dept. of engineering and applied sciences at Yale University. SWE Achievement Award aspire • advance • achieve 2005 2004 Dr. Bonnie J. Dunbar Dr. Kristina M. Johnson In recognition of her visionary contributions ranging from ceramic shuttle-tile design to biomedical research, Dr. Dunbar’s efforts benefit astronautics, In recognition of her significant contributions to humankind, and the future scientists and engineers she inspires. optoelectronic processing systems and liquid crystal devices. Achievements: Throughout her career, Dr. Dunbar has made earth-shatter- Achievements: Research and teaching include holography, which is the ing contributions. While at Rockwell’s Palmdale, Calif., production facility creation of three-dimensional images with light wave interference patterns, in the 1970s, she was key in the development of the original ceramic tiles for the space shuttle, helping establish the equipment, process, and stan- along with optical and signal processing, liquid crystal electro-optics and dards to manufacture them. affixing a novel variety of liquid crystals to silicon to create new types of miniature displays and computer monitors. Contributions: While at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Dr. Dunbar served as a mission control guidance and navigation officer. She was a crucial mem- Contributions: Dr. Johnson holds 43 patents and over 140 refereed journal ber of the team that skillfully positioned the Skylab Space Station for a con- publications. Her research and projects provided the University of Colorado trolled, safe re-entry into earth’s atmosphere. Dr. Dunbar served as a mission approximately $42 million in grants and contracts. In 1992 she won a specialist on three STS missions including STS-71, the first to dock with regional Emmy nomination for a 10-part television series, “Physics of Russian space station MIR, in 1995. She was payload commander, managing Light.” all experiments, on STS-50/Columbia in 1992, and STS-89/Endeavour in 1998. She worked with the thermal tile repair team to analyze the tile prob- Honors: Presidential Young Investigator, named one of the nation’s top 100 lem on Columbia and explore possibilities for in-orbit tile repair. engineers under 40 by the National Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the Optical Society of America and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Honors: She has received several honorary degrees from institutions Engineers, winner of the 1993 International Denis Gabor Medal for around the world. Her work has been published extensively, and she holds one patent.Dr. Dunbar is a 1993 SWE Resnik Challenger medal recipient Outstanding Achievement in Modern Optics, recipient of the Photonics and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. Spectra Circle of Excellence award and the Colorado Technology Transfer Award. Education: Dr. Dunbar holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in ceramic engineering from the University of Washington, Seattle, and a doctorate in Education: Dr. Johnson holds her B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electri- mechanical/biomedical engineering from the University of Houston. cal engineering from Stanford University. SWE Achievement Award aspire • advance • achieve 2003 2002 Dr. Mitra Dutta Dr. Umit Ozkan For her pioneering research in novel heterostructure In recognition of her outstanding accomplishments as an internationally optoelectronic and electronic devices, characterization of recognized and highly-respected researcher in heterogeneous catalysis, compound semiconductor materials and executive level as an engineering educator, as a dedicated leader in higher administrative leadership of engineering projects. education and in professional societies, and as a true trailblazer in every aspect of her professional