Award for Indian American woman engineer
Thursday, 12 October 2006, 19:30 IST
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New York: An Indian American, Alka Patel, has been named as the winner of the 2006 Distinguished New Engineer Award by the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). According to an SWE press release, "Patel's engineering background has been vital for successfully analysing cutting technology related to material science and proving patentability opinions that help maintain integrity in our industry. "Alka Patel has displayed incredible leadership and growth within the first 10 years of her career," SWE president Jude Garzolini stated in the release. An attorney with Pepper Hamilton, LLP, Patel's specialised field is intellectual property rights. The Distinguished New Engineer Award honours women engineers who have been actively engaged in engineering, demonstrated outstanding technical performance, and have had no more than 10 years of cumulative engineering experience as of December 31 of the past year. The 2006 award will be conferred Friday night at the SWE's National Conference Achievement Award Banquet in Kansas City, Missouri. "Alka always demonstrates a strong commitment and consistent dedication to her career, her SWE involvement and community activities," the release quoted Cristina H. Amon, dean, faculty of applied science and engineering, University of Toronto. "She is a role model for all women to reach their full potential, and with her outstanding technical and managerial expertise in engineering, she is an excellent candidate for this award." Patel received her B.S. in materials science and engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. In 2001, she completed her J.D. (juris doctor or 'doctor of law') and MBA degrees from Duquesne University. Established in 1950, SWE is a non-profit educational and service organisation that supports and promotes the activities and presence of women in the field of engineering. It has over 17,000 members in nearly 100 professional sections and 300 student sections throughout the United States. Patel prepares patent applications in the areas of materials, chemicals, medical devices, manufacturing processes, and business methods.
Source: IANS
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