2016 Leading Light Award Nominees

Congratulations to the 2016 Leading Light Award and Scholarship Nominees. We have a record number of nominees this year from a variety of prestigious and influential companies and universities.

Outstanding Achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math

The nominee must have positively promoted or provided significant value or innovation in a STEM (science, technology, engineering, or math) field. The winner will have made noteworthy contributions in areas that may include but are not limited to research & development, design, engineering, operations management, logistics, legal, human resource management, marketing, information technology, or supply chain management.

Nominee	Title	Company
Maria J. Blanco	Director	Eli Lilly and Company
Ann Bolcavage	Associate Fellow for Coatings	Rolls-Royce Corporation
Megan E. Bunch	Project Engineer, Off-Highway Products	Allison Transmission, Inc.
Yvonne Lai	Vice President of Preclinical Biology and Co-Founder	Anagin, Inc and Indiana University - Bloomington
Valerie Osinski	Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer	Project Lead The Way, Inc.
Jennifer Sivak	Senior Director of Business Transformation and Information Technology	Allegion
Sherry Voytik-Harbin	Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Pudue University; Founder, GeniPhys	Purdue University; GeniPhys

You Inspire Us!

The nominee will have demonstrated success in inspiring women and others in STEM (science, technology, engineering, or math) to look beyond their own horizons and set professional and personal goals that exceed those originally conceived. The nominee need have no connection to those she inspires. Rather, based on her advocacy, leadership, presence, and/or visibility in the community for having advanced the areas of STEM in Indiana, she inspires us all to push the limits.

Nominee	Title	Organization
Jennifer Aikins	Director of Learning	Eleven Fifty Academy
Erin Albert	Entrepreneur, Writer, Health Outcomes Pharmacist, Attorney, Coach and Podcaster	Myers and Stauffer, LLC.; Pharm, LLC; Yupsie LLC
Laura Dodds	Executive Director	TechPoint Foundation For Youth
Ronda Hamm	Patent Liaison	Dow AgroSciences, LLC
Carla Johnson	Associate Dean for Research, Engagement, and Global Partnerships	Purdue University
Aimee Kandrac	Co-Founder	WhatFriendsDo.com
Sally Reasoner	Director of Talent Initiative	TechPoint

Leadership

This award will recognize an individual who has increased Indiana women's impact, representation, and effectiveness in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, or math) community through outstanding technological leadership and social contributions in her organization and/or the broader community.

Nominee	Title	Organization
Sarah Burns	Editorial and Social Media Strategy Manager	Indiana University Health
Laura Dodds	Executive Director	TechPoint Foundation For Youth
Kathryn Elliott	Chief of Performance and Noise Engineering -Rolls-Royce Corporation	Rolls-Royce Corporation; RR Women North America
Louise Hughes	Vice President, Client Solutions & Delivery	Allegient
Karen Jung	President	Nextech
Karen Mangia	Vice President, Customer & Market Insights	Salesforce
Shankali Pradhan		Purdue University
Karen Ramsey-Idem	Director, Global Technical Resource Planning and Management	Cummins
Michelle Smith	Trait Development Leader	Dow AgroSciences, LLC
Michelle Jones Thompson	Lead Change and Problem Management	MISO Energy
Ashley Vukovits	Chief Financial Officer	Interactive Intelligence

Mentor Me!

The individual or organization must be employed by or have an Indiana-based headquarters, subsidiary, or division, and have concentrated their mentoring efforts in Indiana. The winner will have committed to the encouragement and advancement of women in the science or technology fields and will have demonstrated success in career, leadership, and education opportunities for women. This commitment might be demonstrated in the field of education, or with a non-profit or for-profit corporation.

Nominee	Title	Organization
Dawn Andrus	Chief of Capability & Innovations - Controls Systems	Rolls-Royce Corporation
Alexandra Baucco	Turbine Component Engineer	Rolls-Royce Corporation
Molly Conn	FPM - Project Management	Rolls-Royce Corporation
Akilah Darden	Project Executive	TriVersity Construction
Robin Fleming	Senior Vice President of Technology	Angie's List
Bharati Nepal	Operations Applications Analyst II	MISO
Linda Rorick-Kehn	Principle Research Scientist	Lilly Research Labs, a division of Eli Lilly and Company
Rebecca Ruselink	Vice President, Information Technology	Interactive Intelligence
Kimberly Steward	Associate Scientist	Dow AgroSciences, LLC

Outstanding Educator in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math

The nominee must be a current educator at a K-12 school or an institution of higher learning in the State of Indiana and must have a primary academic focus in STEM (science, technology, engineering, or math). Public, private, and parochial school nominees will be considered.

The winner will have demonstrated excellence in teaching innovative programs that promote student interest, success, and leadership in STEM. Special consideration will be given to those who have implemented programs to teach these disciplines in a hands-on environment and to those who have demonstrated a commitment to young women in these areas.

Nominee	Title	Organization
Christine Floyd	PLTW Teacher	Brownsburg High School
Sujuan Gao	Professor of Biostatistics	Indiana University
Susan McDowell	Professor	Ball State University
Marcy Towns	Professor of Chemistry	Department of Chemistry, Purdue University

Risk Taker

The nominee must have demonstrated courage in promoting purposeful change for which success was not guaranteed.

The winner will have successfully pursued innovation, whether in pursuit of programs, projects, initiatives, technology adoption/innovation in the public, private, or non-profit sectors.

Nominee	Title	Organization
Sola Adelowo	Founder & Certified Image Consultant	StylistModi & ImageCube LLC
Kristen Cooper	Founder	The Startup Ladies
Brianna Dill	Associate Producer & Post Production Coordinator	Gaither Studio/Gaither Music Company
Jocelyn Dunn	Chief Scientist & Founder of Earthonauts	Purdue University & NASA
Karen L Ewing	Senior Manager, Supplier Quality Development Engineering	Allison Transmission, Inc.
Sally Reasoner	Director of Talent Initiatives	TechPoint
Lakshmi Sastry-Dent	Global Intellectual Property Process Leader	Dow AgroSciences, LLC
Shelly Towns	Senior Vice President of Product	Angie's List

Rising Star

The nominee will have demonstrated exceptional and substantive achievements in leadership early in their STEM (science, technology, engineering, or math) related career.

Nominee	Title	Organization
Takia Easley	Technical Program Manager	Rolls-Royce Corporation
Jennifer Flachs	Manufacturing Engineer, Purchasing Turbine Castings	Rolls-Royce North America
Negar Garizi	Senior Research Scientist	Dow AgroSciences, LLC
Brittney Helt	Client Advocate	Russell Martin & Associates
Sarah Johnson	Director, IT	Project Lead The Way, Inc.
Susan Kiplinger	Operations Manager/IT	Spring House, Inc./Gaither Music Group
Ran Liao	Phd Candidate	Indiana University
Liyun Huang Lucas	Engineer I, Torsional Analysis	Allison Transmission, Inc.
Kelsey Mitchell	Control Systems Engineer	Rolls-Royce Corporation
Djenan Soumahoro	Manufacturing Engineer	Greenlee Textron
Laura Wayne	Associate Research Scientist	Dow AgroSciences, LLC

Scholarship Nominees

With thanks to our outstanding sponsors, Women & Hi Tech is honored to provide two $5,000 scholarships this year. (Additional scholarships may also be awarded by our sponsors). The scholarships will be awarded to women living in Indiana with the intent to remain in the state after graduating to put their education to work in our community. The Women & Hi Tech Scholarships are open to women pursuing a degree in science, technology, engineering or math.

Nominee	School	Degree Program
Nouran Amin	Indiana University-Purdue University of Indianapolis	BS - Biology
Emily Barge	Grace College	BS - Life Science Education
Charlanski Bates	Ivy Tech Community College	ASS - Health Care Specialist Associates of Applied Science
Caitlin Behme	University of Indianapolis	BS - Chemistry/Biology Double
Sydney Boyce	Purdue University	BS - Engineering
Claire Etchason	Purdue University	BS - Mechanical Engineering
Carla Fincher	Saint Francis University	BS - Nursing
Anna Garst	IUPUI	BA - Computer and Information Technology
Addison Gepfert	University of Cincinnati	BS - Biomedical Engineering
Audra Gierscher	Purdue University	BS - Virtual Product Integration
Abigail Grover	University of Indianapolis	BS - Biology
Wendi Hasty	Ivy Tech Community College	BS - Criminal Justice
Blakely Heaton	Butler University	BS - Biomedical Engineering and Biology, Dual Degree
Anne Krietenstein	Butler University	BS - Biology
Ran Liao	IUPUI	PhD - Biostatistics
Cathleen Lofland	IUPUI	BS - Mechanical Engineering
Julia Miller	Purdue University	BS - Mechanical Engineering
Riley Mineart	Indiana University, Bloomington	MS - Human-Computer Interaction/Design
Denaya Mras	University of Saint Francis	MSN - Family Nurse Practitioner
Miranda Neville	DePauw University	BA - Computer Science
Zei Ni	University of Indianapolis	BS - Biology, Pre-Med
Riley Peppler	Indiana University - Bloomington	BS - Chemistry
Shankali Pradhan	Purdue University/College of Engineering	PhD - Chemical Engineering
Erika Rasnick	University of Indianapolis	BS - Biology
Teresa Rose	University of Indianapolis	BS- Chemistry/Exercise Science
Mary Rushton	Purdue University	PhD - Entomology
Emily Starr	Butler University	MS - Pharmacy
Michelle Tanaka	Purdue University	BS - Mechanical Engineering
Ashley Tanner	University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne Indiana	MBA - Business Admin
Laura Tonner	Butler University	BS- Science, Technology, and Society
Hollee Trent	Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology	BS and MS - Mathematics

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