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K-State Today

April 4, 2016

Montelone, Betz named 2015-2016 KAWSE Award recipients

Submitted by Chardie Baird

Beth Montelone, associate dean of Arts & Sciences and professor of biology, and Amy Betz, assistant professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering, are the 2015-2016 recipients of the Kansas State Office for the Advancement of Women in Science and Engineering, or KAWSE, Award.

The KAWSE Award honors exceptional efforts undertaken by a K-State faculty or staff member to enrich girls' and women's lives in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, disciplines. Recipients will be recognized with an engraved plaque at the Women of Distinction Recognition Ceremony on Sept. 15 and they will receive a $500 award.

Montelone has played an integral role in creating the GROW, EXCITE, SUCCEED and ADVANCE programs and working to institutionalize KAWSE. She continues to provide leadership and direction for all initiatives sponsored by KAWSE.

Montelone also has developed programs that support partnerships across programs dedicated to enhancing the lives of girls and women, including the Collaborative for Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement in Science, or CORES, technology, engineering and mathematics program that tracks student participation in STEM programs and by receiving the National Science Foundation's Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, LSAMP, grant. In addition, she has more than 15 publications relevant to enriching the lives of girls and women in STEM disciplines.

Betz has facilitated workshops for KAWSE's GROW program. She also developed the Women in Engineering Laboratory Experience program that has provided mentoring, laboratory experience and travel support to 27 women since its inception at K-State. She works to create partnerships across programs by working with organizations such as the Kansas Children's Discovery Center, Forty Riley Youth Services and Dodge City High School.

This summer, Betz is coordinating a poster session for middle school girls at the International Conference on Nano, Micro and Minichannels to introduce young girls to STEM.

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