With just a couple of weeks to go, The Dallas (TX) Chapter of The Links (The Links) will celebrate seven outstanding women in the area of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) at the Women Who STEAM Awards Luncheon presented by Texas Capital.
Receiving the Women Who STEAM Awards are the following:
- Nikki Delk, PhD, Associate Professor/Assistant VP for Research, The University of Texas at Dallas (Hidden Figure)
- Kathy Hubbard, Assistant Dean, Student Success and Inclusive Excellence, Southern Methodist University
- Alena Analeigh McQuarter, CEO The Brown STEM Girl™ (Rising Star)
- Sherrika D. Sanders, PhD, Technical Service Manager, Manner Polymers
- Jessica Shepherd, MD, MBA, FACOG, CEO/Founder, Sanctum Med + Wellness
- Betty Hill Stewart, PhD, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of North Texas at Dallas and
- Teresa Coleman Wash, Executive Artistic Director/Founder, Bishop Arts Theatre Center.
As The Links Dallas Chapter President Linda McIntosh Todd said, “The Dallas (TX) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, are friends that have transformed communities through service for the past 66 years. We invite all to come and be inspired during our Women Who STEAM Luncheon, and experience the stories of our phenomenal honorees, testimonials from our STEAM scholars and exposure to the transforming work in our community accomplished by our membership.”
In addition to the STEAM Awards will be the inaugural presentation of the Eddie Bernice Johnson STEAM Academy Scholarships. Named after the late Eddie Bernice Johnson, who was the “first African American and the first woman to chair the House [committee] for Space, Science and Technology,” the scholarships are “presented to deserving [The Links] STEAM Academy Senior Scholars.”
According to Texas Capital Community Development and Corporate Social Responsibility Managing Director Effie Dennison, “Through our work with Women Who STEAM, we are able to show the future generation of women leaders of color what they can achieve. We are proud to honor the legacy of Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson while also celebrating the achievements of women in STEAM fields.”
This year’s “Kaleidoscope: Illuminating Women And Their Diverse Paths To STEAM Success” will take place on Thursday, April 4, at the Warwick Melrose Hotel, co-chaired by Lisa Sherrod, Beverly Waters, Effie Dennison and Linda McIntosh Todd.
With tickets starting at $250, funds raised from the lunch will “directly support the STEAM Academy, community programs and also help to provide scholarships to college-bound students.”
For a full description of the awardees, follow the jump.
* Photo courtesy of the Dallas (TX) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated
- Nikki Delk, PhD, Associate Professor/Assistant VP for Research, The University of Texas at Dallas (Hidden Figure) — Dr. Delk earned her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University, her doctorate from Rice University, and is a tenured Associate Professor in Biological Sciences, an endowed Cecil H. and Ida Green Professor in Systems Biology Science, and the Assistant VP for Research at UTD. Her research lab studies inflammation-induced breast cancer and prostate cancer progression. She also achieved the rank of Captain while serving four years in the US Air Force. Dr. Delk is passionate about mentoring and providing research training and is equally passionate about the creative and performing arts. In 2021 she merged her passions to create Arts for Science to raise awareness of her lab’s research and to raise support for her STEM outreach through the arts.
- Kathy Hubbard, Assistant Dean, Student Success and Inclusive Excellence, Southern Methodist University — Kathy leads the effort to increase the number of students and faculty representing traditionally minoritized groups in engineering and computer science fields. In her 22-year career at SMU, she has been recognized for community service and ensuring all students have opportunities to succeed.
- Alena Analeigh McQuarter, CEO, The Brown STEM Girl™ (Rising Star) — Alena is a remarkable individual known as a phenom, prodigy, and whiz kid. She embarked on her college journey at the age of 12. She has earned a Bachelor’s in Biological Sciences Biomedical with a minor in Global Health and is set to graduate with a master’s degree in biology in May of 2024. At just 13, Alena made history as the youngest Black person in US history to gain acceptance into medical school. Driven by audacious dreams, she became the youngest girl of color to intern at NASA and founded platforms like The Brown STEM Girl, the Brown STEM Girl Foundation, and Brainiac World Media. Professionally, she has conducted ovarian cancer research at the Webb Labb at the University of Maryland and is currently a key member of the Outbreak Response Team at Arizona State University. It is not just her intelligence, but her serene spirit and gracious nature that set her apart and displays her commitment to blazing trails and shattering barriers for other brown STEM girls.
- Sherrika D. Sanders, PhD, Technical Service Manager, Manner Polymers — Sherrika received her undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Xavier University and holds a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry. Sherrika has been noted as 1 of 20 “Most Influential Women in Manufacturing”, one of “The Top 50 Advanced Manufacturing, Supply Chain & Logistics Influencers and most recently a “Women Breaking the Mold – Plastics Industry” honoree. Sherrika’s commitment to diversity in STEAM is at the heart of all that she does. She has used her STEAM platform as a springboard to inspire and mentor underrepresented groups across the nation.
- Jessica Shepherd, MD, MBA, FACOG, CEO/Founder, Sanctum Med + Wellness — Dr. Shepperd is a board-certified OB/BYN, women’s health expert and minimally invasive surgeon. She founded her concierge wellness practice, and she is also the Chief Medical Officer for VeryWell Health. Dr. Shepperd is a well-known media personality and is seen regularly as an expert on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and other news outlets. Her passion for women’s health, from minority health disparities to reproductive justice issues has allowed her to be an advocate for women and girls, bringing women’s health issues to the forefront including highlighting racial disparities in health care.
- Betty Hill Stewart, PhD, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of North Texas at Dallas — Dr. Stewart is a tenured Professor of Chemistry at UNT Dallas. She earned a bachelor’s in Biochemistry from Mississippi State and a PhD with a specialization in Protein Biochemistry/Biological Sciences from Carnegie-Mellon. She was the first African American faculty member to be granted tenure and promoted to full professor at Austin College. She is currently leading the design and build of a $100 million-dollar state-of-the-art STEM building at UNT Dallas. She is a passionate STEAM advocate, especially for students of color.
- Teresa Coleman Wash, Executive Artistic Director/Founder, Bishop Arts Theatre Center — Teresa (she/her/hers) is a producer, writer, and founding artistic director for the Bishop Arts Theatre Center and is a National Arts Strategies fellow, having studied at Harvard Business School. As a member of the Dramatist Guild of America Council she uses her platform to advocate for women of color to ensure that equity and diversity are not mere words but are incorporated into the highly competitive theater community. Under Coleman Wash’s leadership the Bishop Arts Theatre Center developed a summer STEAM program for young girls of color to embrace careers in theatre.