Today the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) announced the 2026 recipients of its annual awards program, celebrating the trailblazers driving progress within the STEM community and championing the advancement of women in engineering.
The SWE Awards Program celebrates high levels of achievement among those who identify as women and allies at all career stages in engineering, engineering technology, or science related to engineering. The 2026 SWE awards honorees include collegiates and professionals from leading companies, organizations, and academic institutions around the world.
“The 2026 SWE award recipients stand at the pinnacle of excellence in engineering, technology, leadership, and service and each one is a brilliant example of what it means to ‘Radiate Change!’” said Kerrie Greenfelder, FY27 SWE President. “Their achievements illuminate our community, elevate our profession, and inspire the engineers and technologists of today and tomorrow to reach higher and lead boldly. Congratulations to all of these remarkable and extraordinary honorees!”
This year’s award recipients will be recognized at WE26, the world’s largest conference and career fair for women and allies in engineering on Nov. 5-7 in Boston. More than 15,000 professional and collegiate individuals in engineering and technology are expected to attend WE26 for professional development, networking opportunities, inspiration, and on-site job interviews.
The SWE Awards Program consists of two levels:
You can find the full list of recipients below.
APEX Awards: Achievement Award | Advocating Women in Engineering Award | Distinguished Engineering Educator Award | Distinguished Service Award | Entrepreneur Award | Fellow Grade | Rodney D. Chipp Memorial Award | Spark Award | Suzanne Jenniches Upward Mobility Award Endowed by Northrop Grumman Corporation 
ASCENT Awards: Beacon Award | The Boeing Company Multicultural Award | Catalyst Award | Distinguished Global Leader Award | Emerging Advocate Award | Emerging Ally Award | Emerging Engineering Educator Award | Emerging Global Leader Award | Engaged Advocate Award | Engaged Ally Award | Engineering Educator Award | Esteemed New Professional Member Award | Esteemed Professional Member | Global Leader Award | Ignite Award | Motorola Foundation Multicultural Award | Outstanding Collegiate Member Award | Outstanding Counselor Award | Outstanding Faculty Advisor |  Outstanding Graduate Student Member Award | Pathfinder Award | Prism Award | Rising Collegiate Star Award | Rising Technical Contributor Award | Trailblazer Award
This is the highest award given by the Society of Women Engineers. This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman, who has made significant and progressive technical contributions for at least twenty (20) years in the fields of engineering, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering.
 
This award honors an individual who has demonstrated professional excellence for at least twenty (20) years in engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering and has proven to be an advocate of women in engineering. The nominee must be in a position of influence within their current organization and/or community and have demonstrated passion in supporting women in engineering and SWE’s Mission.
 
This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman, who has made significant contributions for at least twenty (20) years, with at least ten (10) years of instructional experiences in the fields of engineering, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering.
 
This award honors a SWE member with at least twenty (20) years as a professional SWE member and experience in engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering who has made significant contributions to the Society of Women Engineers at any level of the Society.
 
This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman, who went out on their own to start and/or maintain their own engineering, engineering technology or science related to engineering-based business, and in doing so, serves as a role model to all women who have ever risked financial security for the possibility of uncertain rewards. The entrepreneur has demonstrated a conviction to dreams and a willingness to make them happen. The nominee will be an entrepreneur who is skilled in technical, business planning, administrative, and financial techniques, and excels in business leadership.
 
The Fellow Grade honors a SWE member with at least twenty (20) years as a professional SWE member and who has achieved professional excellence, while also making significant and long-term contributions towards advancing the mission, objectives, and goals of the Society. The nominee will have contributed significantly to the public’s awareness of engineering as a profession for women, and informing employers, the profession, and the public of women’s contributions to the fields of engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering.
 
This award honors an individual who identifies as a man, who has contributed significantly for at least twenty (20) years to the acceptance and advancement of women in the fields of engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering. The nominee may have increased the recruitment, hiring, promotion, or retention of women engineers or women engineering students. The nominee may also have encouraged, sponsored, developed professional training/development programs, and created a supportive environment for women engineers in the workplace or women engineering students in a college or university.
 
This award honors an individual who has contributed to the advancement of women by mentoring those around them. The nominee will have made a difference in the lives of many by affecting women at a variety of levels ranging from primary and secondary schools through more senior levels in relation to their position. The nominee must have at least twenty (20) years of experience in the fields of engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering.
 
This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman, who has made outstanding contributions for at least twenty (20) years in the field of engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, and/or science related to engineering, and has succeeded in rising within their organization to the level of, at a minimum, general manager or equivalent upper management position. The nominee has created a nurturing environment for other women in the workplace. Northrop Grumman Corporation has endowed this award.
This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman, who has made significant contributions for at least twenty (20) years in engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering. The nominee must have demonstrated a variety of outstanding career leadership activities in a technical field, as well as leadership in professional organizations and the community.
 
The award recognizes a collegiate SWE group that has developed and implemented the best multicultural program that does one or more of the following: increases or retains a diverse SWE membership and leadership while providing an inclusive and equitable environment where all experience a sense of belonging; activates the SWE community to drive member connections, providing engineering exposure, support, and opportunities to a diverse audience; or increases the exposure of engineering and the SWE organization to the community through outreach programs to those under 18 years old.
 
This award honors an individual who has contributed to the advancement of women by mentoring those around them. The nominee will have made a difference in the lives of many by affecting women at a variety of levels ranging from primary and secondary schools through more senior levels in relation to their position. The nominee must have less than ten (10) years of experience in the fields of engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering.
 
This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman, who has made a significant contribution as a global leader for at least fifteen (15) years in their engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related engineering organization. The nominee has created a nurturing environment for women of different cultures in the workplace, as well as demonstrated leadership in professional organizations and the community. The nominee can be based anywhere in the world.
 
This award honors an individual who has demonstrated professional excellence for less than ten (10) years in engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering and has proven to be an advocate of women in engineering. The nominee must be in a position of influence within their current organization and/or community and have demonstrated passion in supporting women in engineering and SWE’s Mission.
 
This award honors an individual who identifies as a man, who has contributed significantly for less than ten (10) years to the acceptance and advancement of women in the fields of engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering. The nominee may have increased the recruitment, hiring, promotion, or retention of women engineers or women engineering students. The nominee may also have encouraged, sponsored, developed professional training/development programs, and created a supportive environment for women engineers in the workplace or women engineering students in a college or university.
 
This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman, who has made contributions for five (5) to ten (10) years, with at least three (3) years of instructional experiences in the fields of engineering, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering.
 
This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman, who has made a significant contribution as a global leader for five (5) to ten (10) years in their engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related engineering organization. The nominee has created a nurturing environment for women of different cultures in the workplace, as well as demonstrated leadership in professional organizations and the community. The nominee can be based anywhere in the world.
 
This award honors an individual who has demonstrated professional excellence for ten (10) to twenty (20) years in engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering and has proven to be an advocate of women in engineering. The nominee must be in a position of influence within their current organization and/or community and have demonstrated passion in supporting women in engineering and SWE’s Mission.
 
This award honors an individual who identifies as a man, who has contributed significantly for ten (10) to twenty (20) years to the acceptance and advancement of women in the fields of engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering. The nominee may have increased the recruitment, hiring, promotion, or retention of women engineers or women engineering students. The nominee may also have encouraged, sponsored, developed professional training/development programs, and created a supportive environment for women engineers in the workplace or women engineering students in a college or university.
 
This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman, who has made significant contributions for ten (10) to twenty (20) years, with at least five (5) years of instructional experiences in the fields of engineering, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering.
 
This award honors a SWE member with less than ten (10) years as a professional SWE member and who has demonstrated professional excellence in engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering, leadership in SWE, as well as professional organizations, and/or the community.
 
This award honors a SWE member with ten (10) to twenty (20) years as a professional SWE member and who has demonstrated professional excellence in engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering, leadership in SWE, as well as professional organizations, and/or the community. A maximum of twenty (20) awards may be presented annually.
 
This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman, who has made a significant contribution as a global leader for ten (10) to fifteen (15) years in their engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related engineering organization in a global setting. The nominee has created a nurturing environment for women of different cultures in the workplace, as well as demonstrated leadership in professional organizations and the community. The nominee can be based anywhere in the world.
 
This award honors an individual who has contributed to the advancement of women by mentoring those around them. The nominee will have made a difference in the lives of many by affecting women at a variety of levels ranging from primary and secondary schools through more senior levels in relation to their position. The nominee must have ten (10) to twenty (20) years of experience in the fields of engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering.
 
The award recognizes a professional SWE group that has developed and implemented the best multicultural program that does one or more of the following: increases or retains a diverse SWE membership and leadership while providing an inclusive and equitable environment where all experience a sense of belonging; activates the SWE community to drive member connections, providing engineering exposure, support and opportunities to a diverse audience; or increases the exposure of engineering and the SWE organization to the community through outreach programs to those under 18 years old.
 
This award honors an undergraduate SWE collegiate member with at least two (2) years of SWE collegiate involvement, who has made an outstanding contribution to SWE, other engineering organizations, the community, and their campus.
 
This award honors a SWE member who has made an outstanding contribution to a SWE collegiate section or affiliate as a counselor and served as a link for the SWE collegiate section or affiliate to other SWE groups such as local professional sections or affiliates, MAL, affinity groups, or society committees.
 
This award honors a SWE member who has made an outstanding contribution to a SWE collegiate section or affiliate as an advisor and served as a link for the SWE collegiate section or affiliate to the rest of the educational institution.
 
This award honors a SWE graduate student who has made an outstanding contribution to SWE, engineering societies, the community, and their campus.
 
This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman, who has been actively engaged for ten (10) to fifteen (15) years in the fields of engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering. The nominee must have demonstrated significant professional leadership in a technical field, as well as leadership in professional organizations and the community.
 
This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman, who has made significant contributions for fifteen (15) to twenty (20) years in engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering. The nominee must have demonstrated a variety of outstanding career leadership activities in a technical field, as well as leadership in professional organizations and the community.
 
This award honors an undergraduate SWE collegiate member with less than two (2) years of SWE collegiate involvement, who has made an outstanding contribution to SWE, other engineering organizations, the community, and their campus.
 
This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman, who has been actively engaged for less than five (5) years in the fields of engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering as a professional or graduate student. The nominee must have demonstrated outstanding technical performance and/or leadership in a technical field, as well as leadership in professional organizations and the community.
 
This award honors an individual who identifies as a woman, who has been actively engaged for five (5) to ten (10) years in the fields of engineering, engineering management, engineering education, engineering technology, or science related to engineering. The nominee must have demonstrated outstanding technical performance and/or leadership in a technical field, as well as leadership in professional organizations and the community.
SWE Blog provides up-to-date information and news about the Society and how our members are making a difference every day. You’ll find stories about SWE members, engineering, technology, and other STEM-related topics.
All Together is the blog of the Society of Women Engineers. Find stories about SWE members, engineering, technology, and other STEM related topics. It’s up-to-date information and news about the Society and how our members are making a difference everyday.
© 2026 Society of Women Engineers
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