Shining the Spotlight on Rising Stars: WOMEN IN ENGINEERING

The Rising Star Awards program was launched in March 2024 as an initiative by SAE Media Group to recognize women engineers who are pushing boundaries, demonstrating outstanding innovation and leadership in the field of engineering, as well as paving the way for countless others to follow their footsteps.

In its inaugural year, the Rising Star Awards program received 205 nominations from organizations across the globe, making the selection process both challenging and gratifying. We were blown away by all the entries and the individual stories of women breaking barriers, challenging stereotypes, as well as proving that women have a vital role in shaping the future of engineering and technology.

“The number of female engineers has been flat since the early 1980s, and in some specialties, is decreasing. We are seeing an increase in chemical, biomedical, and computer engineering, but the other, more traditional disciplines are decreasing,” said Carla Bailo, SAE International’s President. “Engineers can change the world and we need to have them believe it would be great to be part of this!”

In June 2024, Elsevier released its Progress Toward Gender Equality in Research and Innovation – 2024 Review, a report that explores the progress made over the last two decades to achieving equal participation by women in research and innovation. Although women have made gains in the last two decades and as of 2022 represent 41 percent of all active researchers compared to 29 percent 20 years ago, there is still a significant gap between the two genders.

According to the report, data also continue to show a clear decline among women in mid-career stage who are authors of technical papers. Not only are there differences in representation across career stages, but also across disciplines. While women are well represented in health sciences, such as immunology and microbiology, they remain underrepresented across multiple STEM fields including engineering and mathematics.

Awards programs can play a role in encouraging more women in STEM, said Bailo, especially if the message is used on social media and throughout academia from K – college. “It gives young people hope of success in the engineering field and also critical advice on how to be successful and a better understanding of what they can do with an engineering degree. The impact on society contribution is crucial to making them want to be a part,” she added.

After meticulous evaluation and thoughtful deliberation by our esteemed panel of judges, we have selected eight winners who have demonstrated outstanding innovation and leadership and have enhanced the engineering profession through their contributions to the society in the fields of Aerospace/Defense, Automotive/Transportation, Electronics, Manufacturing, Medical, and Sustainability. The Manufacturing and Medical categories each had a tie, so there are two winners in both categories.

Congratulations to the incredible young women engineers who have won this prestigious award. Their hard work, dedication, and innovative spirit are not only commendable but truly inspiring. Their success demonstrates that diversity in engineering brings fresh perspectives and drives groundbreaking solutions.

The winners of the Rising Star Awards remind us that with passion and persistence, you can achieve anything. Bailo’s advice for young women entering engineering careers is, “Just do it! Take any challenge that comes your way with a strong attitude and tackle it well. You will fail, but if you’re not failing, you’re not challenging yourself. Also have a mentor and a sponsor so you can ask honest questions and receive honest feedback. Take that feedback to heart and change yourself. Make your own career path and don’t rely on others to create it. And always be true to yourself regardless of the pressure you may feel to be someone different — create your own mold.”

In the following pages, we celebrate the remarkable achievements of the Rising Star Awards winners and look forward to the transformative impact they will continue to have on the world of engineering in the years to come.

Congratulations again to all the 2024 Rising Star Awards winners!

- Chitra Sethi, Director, Editorial and Digital Content Strategy, SAE Media Group

AEROSPACE & DEFENSE RISING STAR AWARDS WINNER 2024: Heather Cummings

AUTOMOTIVE/TRANSPORTATION RISING STAR AWARDS WINNER 2024: Bruque Argaw

ELECTRONICS RISING STAR AWARDS WINNER 2024: Dr. La’Quata Sumter

MANUFACTURING RISING STAR AWARDS WINNER 2024: Jessica Polkinghorn

MANUFACTURING RISING STAR AWARDS WINNER 2024: Stephanie de Boissieu

MEDICAL RISING STAR AWARDS WINNER 2024: Oonagh Hassett

MEDICAL RISING STAR AWARDS WINNER 2024: Asha Parekh

SUSTAINABILITY RISING STAR AWARDS WINNER 2024: Riddhi Padariya