There are powerful women at IUPUI, and to cap off Women’s History Month, a dozen of them have recently been recognized. The IUPUI Division of Student Affairs, in conjunction with the Office for Women, recently honored 12 individuals as a part of the Women’s History Awards.
The selected students have excelled academically and served as a role model to peers. The 12 winners of this year’s awards were chosen due to their work in at least one of the following categories: academic excellence, leadership, service and community engagement, advocacy and a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
For Julia Cilleruelo Fernandez del Moral, she hopes the recognition will lead to real change in her field, citing the fact that Indiana ranks 44th among U.S. states for the smallest gender pay gap.
“As an engineering student, I am used to being in a mostly male-dominated field,” she said. “My goal is for everyone in my classes to get used to seeing women in power, so they can challenge their biases and begin to be more inclusive. We need to normalize female leadership and be transparent about their accomplishments. This will be the best way to debunk stereotypes and encourage all students to be allies.”
“Representation is important,” said Mandy Porter, student success and outreach coordinator. “Sharing stories of female student leaders allows for other students on campus to potentially see themselves in different or similar leadership positions.”
Below are the 12 winners in alphabetical order.
Undergraduate
Sarah Ali, Senior, Neuroscience/medical sociology, School of Science
Jocelyn Blackburn, Senior, Biology/Classics Studies, School of Science/School of Liberal Arts
Corinne Bowditch, Senior, Health Sciences, School of Science
Julia Cilleruelo Fernandez del Moral, Junior, Energy Engineering, School of Engineering and Technology
Alax Gregory, Junior, Interdisciplinary Studies, School of Science
Morgan Rymer, Senior, School of Nursing
Graduate/Professional
Maribel Hernández, Graduate, Addiction Neuroscience, School of Science
Caroline Henderzahs, Professional, School of Dentistry
Daenique Jengelley, Graduate, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine
Alexis Meriweather, Professional, Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine
Seema Patel, Professional, Emergency Medicine/ Pediatrics, School of Medicine
Ekin Seçinti, Graduate, Clinical Psychology, School of Science
Learn more about the Women's History Month Leadership Awards online.