Elizabethtown College Dean of the School of Engineering, Math, and Computer Science and Associate Professor of Engineering Sara Atwood was named winner of the 2022 Women in Tech (WIT) Diversity/Inclusion Award.
The announcement was made at the sixth annual WIT Awards event, presented by the Technology Council of Central Pennsylvania on Sept. 14 in Harrisburg, Pa.
Lauren Comly & Sara Atwood at 2022 Awards (L-R)
This award recognizes an individual’s active commitment to inclusion and diversity in technology. Atwood was awarded for her ongoing research and work toward increasing the participation of women, first-generation, and historically marginalized populations in Engineering.
“I’m honored to be recognized for my accomplishments in diversity and inclusion, especially amongst such impressive finalists in the category,” Atwood said. “It was especially meaningful to have been nominated by my students, as they inspire me every day to keep making things better for the next generation of women in technology.”
Atwood has been highly involved in the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) throughout her career and is the recipient of the Mara Washburn Early Engineering Educator Grant from the Women in Engineering Division, as well as co-authoring the Best Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Paper in 2018.
Recently, she spearheaded as Principal Investigator a $1.2 Million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Broadening Participation in Engineering program to launch the Greenway Center for Sustainability and Equity in Engineering in partnership with the Greenway Institute, located in Vermont.
Engineering (Biomedical) major, Physics and Interfaith Leadership Studies minor Lauren Comly ’23 also earned recognition at the WIT Awards event by being named a $1500 WIT Scholarship recipient. WIT Scholarships are awarded to encourage outstanding women to continue to excel in technology-related disciplines such as computing, engineering, and life sciences.
“It was inspiring to be at the Women In Technology event, where the occasion celebrated the contributions women in technology have made in Central Pennsylvania,” Comly explained. “I am grateful to be the recipient of this scholarship as it is a reminder for all women in STEM to continue pursuing these fields and keep helping each other to reach higher heights.”