Two students were recognized at the University of Oklahoma's Senior Awards Ceremony in November.
Sarah HobsonGallogly College of Engineering Outstanding SeniorSarah is a senior, majoring in Environmental Engineering, Global Energy, Environmental, and Resources Studies.
She has had multiple internships at the Eisenmann Corporation, National Science Foundation, the Wild Care Foundation and Oklahoma Water Survey, and is co-founder of Menstrual Mates, LLC. She is currently a Peer Learning Assistant, a nationally certified tutor and Peer Learning Mentor in Chemistry and German as well as an undergraduate researcher, while also volunteering at Wild Care and Gardens for Good. Gardens for Good is a project started by Sarah in March of 2020 after being sent back from Puebla, Mexico due to the pandemic. She builds gardens for individuals and families in the Norman and OKC communities, for free, to fight food insecurity and to empower individuals to grow their own food.
During her senior year, Sarah has participated in both the Environmental Science Students Association and Sooner Engineers Without Borders as Service Chair. She is also a member of the Environmental Advisory Committee, Geography and Environmental Sustainability Club, Society of Women Engineers, Honors Student Association, Honors Reading Group, Informed Citizens Discussion Group, German Club, and Alliance of SE Asian Nations Student Association.
Emma KutlerJoe C. and Carole Kerr McClendon Honors College Outstanding Senior
Emma, a major in Industrial and Systems Engineering, spent her first week at OU staring at her class schedule, attending orientations and crying in the Ada Fisher Garden. She had concluded she wasn’t smart enough to be an engineer. She had internalized messages that only brilliant people could be engineers and engineering was a “man’s job”. She now knows that isn’t true and works with middle school girls through OU Outreach events to show them they can, “wear heels, love Taylor Swift and be an amazing engineer without changing any aspect of their personality.”
She’s now glad she didn’t let that first week define her because she wouldn’t know now what she was capable of accomplishing.
Kennedy Engineering Leadership Award
OU alumnus, Bill Kennedy, earned a BS in mechanical engineering from OU and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. In honor of his passion for excellence in leadership, and his respect for General Holmes, Mr. Kennedy established the William J. Kennedy Engineering Leadership Award in 2015.
Catherine "Katie" VopatKennedy Engineering Leadership Award
Katie is a Holmes Leadership Associate and a biomedical engineering honors student in the accelerated bachelor’s/master’s degree program. During her time at OU, she has worked to build an inclusive environment through her service with the Women in Engineering Program and the Dean’s Leadership Council mentorship program. She has been active in engineering organizations, including Engineers Serving Others, the Society of Women Engineers, and Engineers’ Club. As the 2019 Engineering Queen, she co-led E-Club’s Homecoming activities.
Her extensive research record includes work on cancer therapies using gold nanoparticles (with Dr. Stefan Wilhelm) and nanoparticle drug delivery systems (with Dr. Lacey McNally). She currently works in Dr. Chung Hao Lee’s Biomechanics and Biomaterials Design Laboratory, investigating the development of tissue-engineered heart valves. Her nominator says,
Her nomination letter included “She has displayed an extraordinary amount of ambition and drive to develop herself and the College while helping others along the way… Even as classes got harder and time was spread thin, she wanted to make a positive difference… She is selfless to a fault and will drop everything to help her college and peers... She has fully embraced everything that OU and the Gallogly College of Engineering have to offer and has returned even more.”
Benjamin "Ben" BasdenKennedy Engineering Leadership Award
Ben is a senior in mechanical engineering and serving his second year as a captain of the Sooner Off-Road Team. Despite the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the team earned top-ten placement in the sales and design presentation categories of the 2019 national competition.
Ben began his time at OU with the AT&T Summer Bridge program. According to his faculty advisor, his leadership skills were already evident during that summer prior to his freshman year: “He was a unifier, keeping all team members involved and committed to the team goal. I still see those qualities now as he enters his 2nd year as a captain for Sooner Off-Road; he has been an excellent recruiter of new team members as his personality and empathy has kept team members involved and dedicated to the team. He is willing to jump in on technical responsibilities with the car, but he is an excellent delegator, getting new and current members involved in a variety of team tasks that make team members feel like a true part of the team.”
Another nominator remarked that, “His leadership fosters an environment of inclusion and excellence. He welcomes new members by increasing communication despite a virtual format and works tirelessly to fulfill the team’s needs. His poise under pressure, receptiveness to feedback, and drive for excellence make him an exemplary leader.”
In addition to his work with the Off-Road team, he has also served as an officer in OU’s chapter of the American Society of Manufacturing Engineers.
Sarah Hobson
