Ten Women Faculty Members Elected to the National Academy of Engineering

The National Academy of Engineering recently announced the election of 84 new members. The new members bring the total number of U.S. members to 2,281. The new members will be inducted in a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on October 8.

Election to the National Academy of Engineering is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature” and to “the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/ implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.”

According to an analysis of the new membership list by WIAReport, it appears that there are 19 women among the 84 new members of the National Academy of Engineering. Thus, women appear to make up 22.6 percent of the new members. Ten of the 19 new women members currently hold faculty posts in academia.

Ellen M. Arruda, Andrea Jo Goldsmith, Paula Therese Hammond, Julia Hirschberg, and Kathleen Connor Howell

Ellen M. Arruda is a professor of macromolecular science and engineering at the University of Michigan. She is being honored for her research in polymer and tissues mechanics. Professor Arruda holds bachelor’s and master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Andrea Jo Goldsmith is the Stephan Harris Professor of Engineering in the department of electrical engineering at Stanford University in California. She has taught at Stanford since 1999. Earlier, she served on the faculty at the California Institute of Technology. Her research is focused on wireless communications. Professor Goldsmith holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

Paula Therese Hammond is the David H. Koch Professor of Engineering and chair of the department of chemical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and a Ph.D. from MIT. Dr. Hammond also earned a master’s degree at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is being honored for her engineering work in energy and healthcare fields.

Julia Hirschberg is the Percy K. and Vida L.W. Hudson Professor of Computer Science and chair of the department of computer science at Columbia University in New York City. She conducts research into text-to-speech applications. Dr. Hirschberg joined the faculty at Columbia University in 2002. She holds a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania.

Kathleen Connor Howell is the Hsu Lo Distinguished Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. She is being honored for her work on dynamical systems theory and optimal interplanetary trajectories. Professor Howell is a graduate of Iowa State University. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from Stanford University.

Dina Katabi, Tsu-Jae King Liu, Jennifer A. Lewism Debbie A. Niemeier, and Katherine A. Yelick

Dina Katabi is a professor of computer science and in the artificial intelligence laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is being recognized for her work in network congestion control in wireless communications. Dr. Katabi is a graduate of Damascus University in Syria. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from MIT and has served on the faculty there since 2003.

Tsu-Jae King Liu is the TSMC Distinguished Professor in Microelectronics and chair of the department of electrical engineering and computer sciences at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research is focused on the fin field effect transistor and its applications. Dr. King Liu holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering from Stanford University.

Jennifer A. Lewis is the Hansjorg Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University. She is an expert on the development of materials and processes for 3D direct fabrication of multifunctional structures. Dr. Lewis has taught at Harvard since 2012, after previously teaching at the University of Illinois. She holds a doctorate in ceramic science from MIT.

Debbie A. Niemeier is a professor in the department of civil and environmental engineering at the University of California, Davis. Her research focuses on the impact of transportation emissions as it relates to environmental justice. Dr. Niemeier is a graduate of the University of Texas. She earned a master’s degree from the University of Maine and a Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Washington. Professor Niemeier has taught at the University of California, Davis since 1994.

Katherine A. Yelick is a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. She also serves as associate library director for computer science at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Professor Yelick has taught at Berkeley since 1991. She holds a Ph.D. in computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.