The Lehigh Valley Section started as a subsection of SWE’s Philadelphia Section. Co-founders Haunani Kekuna and Carol Bloch generated enough interest at a September 18, 1979 kick-off meeting in Allentown to pursue seeking full section status. The proposed section would be able to take advantage of the large concentration of professionals, industrial facilities, and educational institutions located in Lehigh and Northampton Counties. Once started, the process quickly gained momentum. By May 1980 a President-elect (W. Anne Stocker) was selected for the proposed new section, bylaws were developed and a petition for charter was endorsed by the parent Philadelphia Section. The Lehigh Valley Section was chartered on June 25, 1980 with an initial group of thirteen members and became the 37th active section of SWE.
The Section grew in membership and varied activities, many with other engineering societies, but by May 1995 was in danger of being dissolved due to dwindling involvement. New officers rallied and the Section was reactivated in 1996 thanks to determined members, such as Lisa Walton who is still an active member today.
Today, the Lehigh Valley Section is thriving with well over 50 members, monthly events, and a well-established Scholarship Program for local women entering undergraduate engineering programs.
Over the years SWE-LV members have been recognized for their many accomplishments both by SWE itself and by peer engineering societies:
2021 Young Engineer of the Year recipient: Alexa Rooney
2020 Young Engineer of the Year recipient: Minal Amin
2019 Young Engineer of the Year recipient: Elizabeth Helsel
2017 Engineer of the Year recipient: Mary Rooney
2016 SWE Entrepreneur of the Year recipient: Michele Stuart
FY2016 SWE Society President: Colleen Layman
2012 Young Engineer of the Year recipient: Brianne Wilburne
2012 SWE New Faces of Engineering recipient: Brianne Wilburne
2010 Engineer of the Year recipient: Angelika Forndran
2002 Young Engineer of the Year recipient: Amy Holovaty
1987 SWE Achievement Award recipient: Nance K. Dicciani
1983 Pennsylvania Young Engineer of the Year recipient: Haunani Sue Lin Kekuna
1983 Young Engineer of the Year recipient: Haunani Sue Lin Kekuna
1982 SWE Distinguished New Engineer recipient: Rebecca Johnson Gale, Ph.D.
1981 SWE Fellow Member recipient: Isabelle F. French, Ph.D.
Visit societyofwomenengineers.swe.org/awards for a listing of the various Individual Awards available to SWE members at the international society level.
SWE’s fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30.
