Purdue University’s Davidson School of Chemical Engineering recently announced the recipients of the 2020 Marilyn Forney Trailblazer Awards. Graduate student Laura Wilcox and undergraduate student Jennifer Barrett are this year’s winners.

The Marilyn Forney Trailblazer Award recognizes outstanding students whose impact has helped pave the way for women in the field of engineering. One graduate student and one undergraduate student are chosen as recipients from the many nominations submitted to the awards selection committee. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, face-to-face recognition was not possible when the awards were announced, however the School is planning a formal recognition at a later date.

Laura Wilcox (left) is a fourth year PhD student advised by Dr. Rajamani Gounder. She has participated in and led various outreach events at Purdue aimed at recruiting and mentoring women and girls in STEM. She is a leadership team member for Access Engineering, a branch of Purdue’s Women in Engineering Program. She is an active participant in other outreach events, such as the Murdock Afterschool Science Club, organized through the ChE Graduate Student Organization (GSO), and the Duke Energy Academy, an event aimed at recruiting 9th-12th grade students into the STEM disciplines. Wilcox has successfully mentored undergraduate students with research activities and with completing their applications to graduate school programs.

Graduating senior Jennifer Barrett (right) received her BSChE in May 2020. She has been an integral part of the ChE Student Ambassador Program, has served on the Women in ChE Seminar organizing committee for two years, and is an active leader in the Women in Engineering Program (WIEP). On the WIEP leadership team, Barrett has facilitated meetings and activities for large groups, analyzed data to improve programming, and managed program details for events such as Juniors Exploring Purdue, Seniors Exploring Purdue, and Youth Outreach. As a ChE Student Ambassador, Barrett not only helped with recruiting events and building tours for prospective students and their families, but also mentored younger ChE student ambassadors to ensure the program continues its mission successfully.

Sources: Dr. Gabriela Nagy,

       Laura Wilcox, wilcox37@purdue.edu

       Jennifer Barrett, barret40@purdue.edu

Writer: Makenna Fitzgerald, fitzge39@purdue.edu