Each year, the University of Miami Women’s Commission honors individuals who have shown notable leadership and who are accomplished in their fields, have supported the University’s diversity efforts and promoted equal opportunity, and/or have contributed to human causes and public service activities.
The 2020 Louise P. Mills Award, which recognizes students who exhibit “leadership ability, academic excellence, and outstanding contributions to the enhancement of women,” has been awarded to Katelyn Menninger, BSEE, ’20, a student whose involvement within the campus community, advocacy for young women within the South Florida community and her utmost dedication to innovation, education and philanthropy has contributed to the enhancement of women.
Menninger’s contributions to the enhancement of women as well as her unwavering efforts to improve the status of women at the University are well documented.
Her passionate advocacy extends to the young women of Miami-Dade County Public Schools through the Society of Women Engineer’s (SWE) Introduce a Girl to Engineering program. This program, which hosted more than 150 high school girls from around South Florida schools this year, offers hands-on engineering activities, alumni and industry panels and includes tours of the College of Engineering laboratories as part of a national effort to acquaint young girls with the many possibilities in the field of engineering.
In addition to her responsibilities with SWE, Menninger took the initiative to cowrite a $25,000 grant to expand the Introduce a Girl Engineering Day program into a summer camp for students. Additionally, the grant will attract greater participation by targeting underserved and unprivileged high schools that don’t have the resources to participate otherwise.
Menninger has also advocated passionately for the enhancement of women through her student leadership on campus, which included serving as Vice President of UMaker – the first and only student organization focused on robotics, 3D printing and innovation.
Louise P. Mills served the University as an Associate Dean of Women, Dean of Women and the Associate Director of Student Personnel. She was a popular advisor and mentor to numerous organizations and individuals during her tenure at t he University. Dean Mills served on several boards of directors in the greater Miami community, maintained a well-define commitment to students and the University as a whole and was one of the founding members of the Women’s Commission.
The Women’s Commission will honor Katelyn and other award winners in a private gathering with a personal recognition by University of Miami President Julio Frenk. This gathering will be scheduled once social restrictions have been lifted.
