awards & recognition

2011 Region A Awards Banquet

You are invited to celebrate SWE Sierra Nevada Section’s 10th Anniversary and the 2011 Region A’s Award Ceremony at the beautiful Nevada Governor’s Mansion in Carson City! Please save the date: Saturday, April 30, 2011. For more information regarding the banquet schedule and registration information, visit the 2011 Region A Awards web site.

This event provides an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of the student and professional sections within our Region, as well as individuals who have dedicated time to SWE. So please come join us in celebrating Region A! If you have any questions, please contact our Banquet Chair, Seena.

2009 SWE Region A Award Winners

The 2009 Region A Awards Banquet was hosted by the UC Berkeley student section on May 3, 2009. This event celebrated the accomplishments of the student and professional sections within our Region, as well as individuals who have dedicated time to SWE. The banquet was held on the UC Berkeley campus and included a keynote speech from Professor Alice Agogino. Congratulations to our 2009 Region A Service Award recipients, Esther A. Heller and Suzanne Kirk and to our Region A Sustaining Benefactor Award recipient, Lockheed Martin.

Esther A. Heller
For your enthusiastic and sustained service to the Society of Women Engineers Region A. You continue to lead and serve the members of the Society through your work with Girl Scouts USA and as a Leadership Coach. Your work at the Section, Region, and National levels are an inspiration for the membership and your expertise, energy, and dedication to the advancing of women and the mission of SWE are exemplary.

Suzanne Kirk
Suzanne Kirk has consistently served SWE members with unique leadership qualities throughout her membership. She’s an exemplary leader, and is proactive; she taking on a variety of tasks inside and outside of SWE. With her friendly smile and congenial personality she supports and assists others on their path to success.

Lockheed Martin (Sustaining Benefactor)
For significant contributions to the Society of Women Engineers' Career Guidance / Outreach, diversity , and community goals as evidenced by generous funding and in-kind resource support from 1992-2009. Exemplary support of programs exposing youth to engineering to help them aspire to become women engineers, promoting advancement of professional engineers through funding development events and supporting SWE leadership activities, and honoring the achievement of all levels of engineers with scholarships and awards.

About the Region A Service Award
Region A wishes to recognize and reward members who have shown their enthusiasm and dedication to SWE's Mission through sustained and significant service. The Golden West Region Service Award recognizes SWE members who have made a valuable contribution to SWE. The commitment of service and leadership to SWE by region members has enabled the Society to successfully fulfill its mission, and those contributions have become part of the framework upon which SWE has been built over the years. Download the Region Service Award Nomination Packet [.doc 64kb] for more information.

About the Sustaining Benefactor Award Region A acknowledges those who have provided continuous and significant support to Region A activities and members through our Sustaining Benefactor Award. Download the Sustaining Benefactor Award Nomination Packet [.doc 53kb] for more information.

2008 SWE Region A Award Winners

The members of the Fresno State student section hosted a wonderful Awards Banquet on May 3, 2008! The event was held at Woodward Park in Fresno, CA, which was a beautiful location. The banquet included a keynote speaker, amazing BBQ luncheon, and tour of the local Japanese Gardens. Kudos to the members of the Fresno section for such an amazing job and obvious enthusiasm for SWE! And congratulations to Region A Service Award recipients, Dr. Indira Chatterjee and Dr. Louise Stark and to our Region A Sustaining Benefactor Award recipient, Intel Corporation.

Dr. Indira Chatterjee
Dr. Indira Chatterjee is a Biomedical Engineering professor at the University of Nevada Reno. She is a dedicated SWE leader, sustaining the UNR SWE section as the faculty advisor for over 13 years. Her continued support and leadership has been paramount to the success of hundreds of women engineering students.

Dr. Louise Stark
Dr. Stark is truly an amazing person. Her dedication and generosity are never-ending. She is always willing to initiate improvement or lend a helping hand, whether asked of her or not. She works hard and always has a smile and friendly attitude, which shows how much she loves what she does.

Intel Corporation
For significant contributions to the Society of Women Engineers’ career guidance outreach, diversity goals, ad community support as evidenced by generous funding and resource use from 1991-2008. Exemplary support of programs exposing youth to engineering to help them aspire to become women engineers, promoting advancement of professional engineers through funding development events and supporting SWE leadership activities, and honoring the achievement of all levels of engineers with scholarships and awards.

Past Award Winners

Elizabeth Hurley (2007 Region A Service Award Winner)
SWE members enjoyed a fantastic 2007 Awards Banquet on Saturday, May 12th at Chico. Many thanks to the entire Chico team led by the banquet chair Lindsey Schurig and event liaison Teresa Kulesza for organizing an amazing banquet for all to remember! The venue (the beautiful garden at the President’s Mansion!) and all the details about the event, including the program book, decorations, food, chocolate fountain, just to name a few, were amazing! Celebration was in the air!

Each year, we recognize and reward members who have shown their enthusiasm and dedication to SWE's Mission through sustained and significant service. This year, the Region A Service Award was given to Elizabeth Hurley! Elizabeth has been a member of the Sierra Foothills Section since 2002 and has held leadership positions at the section, regional, and national levels. In addition to SWE, Elizabeth is an active member of the Girl Scouts.

This photo was taken in the Presidio in San Francisco at the same time that Elizabeth was receiving her well-deserved award in Chico. At this bridging ceremony of the Girl Scouts going from Junior Girl Scout to Cadette Girl Scouts, about 5000 Girl Scouts ceremoniously walked across the Golden Gate Bridge. Elizabeth not only works with the troop in this picture, but she is also a member. Since she could not be there, the girl scouts made posters and took photos to show Elizabeth that they were thinking about her. What a sense of pride and joy one feels from this picture, which sums up SWE’s tag line of Aspire, Advance and Achieve! Congratulations to Elizabeth, the girl scouts, all winners, SWE leaders and volunteers! You are all amazing!

At the banquet, we also recognized our collegiate and professional sections and celebrated their amazing achievements! Download the Region A Awards Presentation [275kb pdf] to find out more about our 2007 award winners!

Nancy Wheeler-Nelson (National SWE Distinguished Service Award)
Nancy Wheeler-Nelson has been selected for the SWE Distinguished Service Award. Nancy has been active in SWE for thirty years at the local, region and national levels. She helped found and is a past president of the San Jose State University student section. She served in many roles in the Santa Clara Valley and San Joaquin Valley Sections, including past president of SCV. She has served on many national committees. Nancy is a former Region A Director and a great contributor to the vibrancy and strength of Region A.

Nancy's great passion is student outreach. She founded and led the SCV section GetSET (Get Science, Engineering and Technology, www.getset.org) program that recruits high school girls from ethnic groups underrepresented in engineering to attend a one week summer camp of engineering exploration. Now in its 14th year, GetSET has touched the lives of more than 250 young women who are now attending college at a rate much higher than their peer group.

Nancy is an amazing woman who has given so much to SWE while raising her children and pursuing a highly successful career at Hewlett Packard and Trimble. Her commitment and tireless energy in support of SWE’s mission and goals have been unwavering and continue to be an inspiration to SWE members. Region A is so proud that Nancy has been chosen for this prestigious national award. She will receive her award at the national conference in October 12-14, 2006 in Kansas City, MO.

Patricia A. Simonson (2006 Region A Service Award Winner)
Through her leadership of Santa Clara Valley’s GetSET outreach program, Pat Simonson has developed the leadership skills of the women engineers who volunteer and has inspired numerous young women in high school to pursue education and careers in science and technology.

Lynne Powell (2004 Region A Service Award Winner)
Lynne Powell is recognized for 13 years of dedicated service to the Golden Gate Section of the Society of Women Engineers. She has demonstrated her leadership abilities through numerous officer and committee chair positions and her devotion through continuous high level of participation in local, regional, and national activities.

Kay Adkins (2003 Region A Service Award Winner)
Kay exemplifies the member that is the backbone of SWE, always doing something at the section level, always to be counted on and always there when needed for a special assignment.

Virginia Squire (2003 Region A Service Award Winner)
For outstanding and dedicated service to Sacramento Valley Section and the Golden West Region of the Society of Women Engineers as Past Region A Director, Past Region A Nominating Committee Chairperson, Past Section President, and volunteer activities too numerous to mention, presented in this inaugural year of the Region A Service Award.

Vicki Tsang (2003 Region A Service Award Winner)
For outstanding and dedicated service to Sierra Foothills Section and the Golden West Region of the Society of Women Engineers as Past Region A Secretary-Treasurer, Past Section President, and numerous terms as SFS Engineering Awareness Program Chairperson, presented in this inaugural year of the Region A Service Award.

Robin Spencer - Citation (2003 Region A Service Award Winner)
Robin Spencer is recognized for 18 years of dedicated service to the Golden Gate Section of the Society of Women Engineers. She has demonstrated her leadership abilities through numerous officer and committee chair positions and her devotion through continuous high level of participation in section activities.

Jennifer Kootstra (2003 Region A Service Award Winner)
For outstanding and dedicated service to Sierra Foothills Section and the Golden West Region of the Society of Women Engineers as Past Region A Conference Treasurer, Past and Present Section Treasurer, and volunteer activities too numerous to mention, presented in this inaugural year of the Region A Service Award.