Texas Girls Collaborative Project Announces 2023 “Stand Up for STEM” Award Winners
The awards recognize individuals and organizations in Texas advancing women and girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)
AUSTIN, TX, November 30, 2023 - The Texas Girls Collaborative Project announces the 2023 Stand Up for STEM Awards that recognize and elevate the work of incredible individuals and organizations in Texas advancing women and girls in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
The 2023 Stand Up for STEM High School Individual Awards are presented to:
· Zoe Chandler, High School Junior, Midlothian Heritage High School, Midlothian ISD, Midlothian, TX - Zoe Chandler was awarded the Corporate Stand Up for STEM Award for her outstanding efforts to promote STEM mentorship to girls interested in pursuing careers in STEM, increasing the diversity of those pursuing STEM careers, balancing the ratio of girls to boys on the FIRST robotics team, and developing girls who want to enter the STEM education pipeline. Her position as president of the Heritage High School award-winning FIRST robotics team has encouraged girls to take on STEM-driven leadership positions. She actively recruits girls, places them in leadership positions and empowers them.
· Julianna Hernandez, High School Senior, Austin Achieve, Austin, TX - Julianna Hernandez received the Stand Up for STEM award for her leadership and focus on bringing more girls STEM. Julianna is a senior at Austin Achieve High School and plans to pursue a career in tech as she mentors more girls in STEM.
· Leah Lukose, High School Junior, St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School, Austin, TX - Leah Lukose, a junior at St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School in Austin, has been awarded the Stand Up for STEM High School Award for her mentorship in STEM fields within her high school community and beyond. An aspiring engineer with an innate talent for math concepts, she strives to empower other girls by exposing them to the remarkable opportunities that await them in the realm of STEM.
· Chinualumogu Nwosu, High School Junior, Bridgeland High School, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, Cypress, TX - We are thrilled to announce Chinualumogu (Chi-Chi) Nwosu as the recipient of the prestigious STEM Advocate Award! Chi-Chi's exceptional commitment to promoting diversity in STEM, her unwavering dedication to mentorship, and her positive influence on the STEM community have set her apart. Co-founder of Girls Who Code, active mentor, and advocate for environmental causes, Chi-Chi embodies the qualities of a dedicated STEM leader. Her extensive involvement in competitive STEM activities and her ability to build strong networks make her a true champion of STEM education.
· Amarachi Uche Eboh, High School Junior, Talkington School for Young Women Leaders, Lubbock ISD, Lubbock, TX - Amarachi's dedication to encouraging girls and women to pursue STEM careers is evident in her proactive involvement in various STEM-related organizations, mentorship roles, and academic pursuits. Through her leadership, advocacy, and willingness to share her experiences, she serves as a powerful advocate for women in STEM fields. Amarachi’s passion and commitment is inspirational and has the potential to make a significant impact on the future of STEM.
The 2023 Stand Up for STEM High School Organization Award is presented to:
· The STEMinist Collaborative Project, Harmony School of Innovation – Waco, Waco, TX - The STEMinist Collaborative Project is a program developed by Tiffani Cortez & 11 high school girls from Harmony School of Innovation - Waco, Janhavi, Maile, Alexa, Xcaret, Laisha, Summer, Manuela, Elliott, Anastashia, Mars, and Marianna. The girls have developed a program focused on increasing female high school engineering pathway enrollment for 8th-grade girls. The program includes 6 meetings where the participants will be introduced to engineering, 3D modeling & printing, laser cutting, power and hand tools, and taught about embracing differences and failures within themselves and others.
The 2023 Stand Up for STEM Collegiate Award is presented to:
· Association for Women in Mathematics – UT Chapter, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX - AWM at the University of Texas at Austin is honored with the Education Organization Stand Up for STEM Award for outstanding achievements in advancing gender diversity in STEM. Through mentorship programs, effective fundraising, and impactful community outreach, the AWM chapter at UT Austin empowers and encourages women pursuing careers in mathematics and STEM fields.
The 2023 Stand Up for STEM Mentor Awards are presented to:
· Kara Branch, Founder and CEO, Black Girls Do Engineer Corporation - Kara Branch is a Award Winning Chemical Engineer and Founder of Black Girls Do Engineer Corporation. She is diversifying and training up the future STEM pipeline by providing exposure, representation, and experience-based knowledge. Black Girls Do Engineer is passionate about developing young women ages 6 to 21 years old in all areas of STEM. Black Girls Do Engineer provides mentoring, personal growth regimens, STEM projects and activities, and guidance on career paths based on insight from professional women who are leaders in the STEM industry.
· Alyson Freeman, Global Lead, Women in Action, Dell Technologies - Alyson Freeman is the global lead for the Women in Action employee resource group at Dell Technologies, a co-founder and former chair of Women in Technology at Samsung Austin Semiconductor, a board member of Westwood STEM Academy, co-founded a global Coding for Kids program at Dell Technologies, and is a frequent speaker at schools, elementary through college.
The 2023 Stand Up for STEM Educator Awards are presented to:
· Amanda Chacon, Librarian/STEM Mentor, Sheldon ISD, Houston, TX - Amanda Chacon is a seasoned educator with 20 years of public education experience; currently, she is an elementary school librarian. She holds NISE STEM Teacher Certification status, as well as many educational technology certifications, including: Amazon Future Engineer Teacher Ambassador; Ozobot Certified Educator; and many more. Ms. Chacon has initiated and run an all-girls STEM Club at her school, entitled STEM GEMS, that encourages girls to pursue STEM concepts in a safe environment.
· Tiffani Cortez, Engineering Teacher, Harmony School of Innovation – Waco, Waco, TX - Tiffani Cortez began teaching engineering in 2010 focused on being a role model for other females to show they belong in the engineering realm. Over the years, she has increased her engineering classes' & FRC robotics teams' female ratio to 50%, presented at conferences and facilitated professional development for teachers, developed an afterschool STEM program for girls where the girls have been trained to be role models, in Sci-Girl curriculum, joined SWENext and the Girl Scouts, and developed a high schools mentor program for 8th-grade girls to increase interest in engineering.
· Cynthia Hopkins, Kaffie Middle School, Corpus Christi ISD, Corpus Christi, TX - Cynthia Hopkins teaches 7th-grade science at Harold C. Kaffie Middle School in Corpus Christi ISD where she is currently serving her 17th year as an educator. Cynthia has a Recognized teacher designation from the Texas Education Agency and hosts clinical teachers in her classroom. She was selected as the 2023 ESC 2 Secondary Teacher of the Year. She previously served on the Teacher Vacancy Task Force which aimed to find ways to alleviate the state-wide teacher shortage. Cynthia is an adjunct professor at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi. She holds a doctorate from Texas A&M.
· Jenn Makins, Executive Director of the STEM Center of Excellence at Camp Whispering Cedars, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas, Dallas, TX - Jennifer Makins, Executive Director, STEM Center of Excellence (SCOE) at Camp Whispering Cedars at Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas & IF/THEN Ambassador. As Executive Director, Jenn Makins lends invaluable expertise and influence to the STEM Center of Excellence. Her commitment to programming and community engagement has been pivotal in elevating the Center's impact. With her extensive industry connections and forward-thinking strategies, Makins ensures that Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas remains a leader in educational best practices. Her tenure is set to be a transformative chapter for SCOE.
· Cynthia Nyvall, Curriculum Specialist II, Texas Education Agency Region 7 Education Service Center, Kilgore, TX - Cynthia Nyvall is a lifelong STEM educator and community leader. Cyndi serves as the Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering (TAME) East Texas Regional Coordinator and currently works at the TEA ESC Region Seven as TEKs Resource System Curriculum Specialist. Cyndi says, "for me the best moments in life are with my family and a close second is the joy of seeing a child feel successful and excited about new learning. This is why I do what I do – to support those that make those moments happen every day…. our teachers."
The 2023 Stand Up for STEM Educational Organization Award is presented to:
· Austin Urban Technology Movement - Austin Urban Technology Movement (AUTMHQ) is a non-profit, tech start-up on a mission to diversify the tech industry. Through job placement, career development and networking opportunities, AUTMHQ is radically changing lives as they create pathways for girls, women and other underserved groups to enter STEM careers.
The 2023 Stand Up for STEM Corporate Award is presented to:
· Applied Materials - Since 2018, the Applied Materials Foundation’s Generation Girl initiative has served more than 50,000 girls across the country through funding, employee volunteerism and capacity-building programs. Launched in 2023, the Applied Materials Momentum Fund strengthens pathways for women engineers through timely financial support, internship opportunities and employee engagement. Applied Materials is committed to a Culture of Inclusion where everyone can achieve their full potential and it supports this effort through external engagements and internal initiatives.
The awards will be presented on Friday, December 1, 2023, at the 7th annual Texas Women and Girls in STEM Summit hosted virtually by the Texas Girls Collaborative Project. The video of the awards recognition can be found on YouTube.
About the Texas Girls Collaborative Project:
The Texas Girls Collaborative Project (TxGCP) is a statewide network of advocates and educators from non-profits, K-12 schools, universities and colleges, and companies across Texas and beyond who are committed to motivating and supporting women and girls to pursue and thrive in careers in STEM. TxGCP leads the annual Texas Women & Girls in STEM Summit, disseminates curriculum and effective practices, and supports a network of collaborators, resource sharing and STEM communications throughout the state. TxGCP is a state collaborative of the National Girls Collaborative Project.
Contact:
Tricia Berry
Collaborative Lead, Texas Girls Collaborative Project, www.txgcp.org
CEO, STEMwise Connections, https://stemwiseconnections.com/