The Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) recognizes outstanding mentoring efforts or programs that enhance the participation of historically underrepresented groups in science, mathematics, and engineering.
Judith A. Todd, professor of engineering science and mechanics at Pennsylvania State University, has a track record in mentoring women engineers at all levels in their careers. Todd is P. B. Breneman Department Head Chair of Engineering Science and Mechanics, the first female engineering department chair at Penn State. Beyond her mentoring of individual students and faculty, Todd has been an administrator at another major technical institution, and has developed and implemented several programs to institute gender equity and salary parity. At Penn State, she has engaged the university's senior leadership in institutionalizing her "Strategic Pathways to Equity and Leadership (SPEL): Preparing for the Professoriate" program. It requires mentoring aspiring and current faculty members about the importance of the search, recruitment, advancement opportunities, recognition, and promotion and tenure practices, as leadership opportunities in their careers. Penn State now ranks second nationally in the numbers of women faculty in engineering.
