AWIS-CAC Annual Awards & Networking Event

Join AWIS-CAC at Midwest Coast Brewing Company for our Annual Awards and Networking Event on Thursday, December 7th from 6 -7:30 PM . This year, we will be celebrating the winners of our 2023 Innovator and Motivator Awards with an in-person event featuring networking and happy hour. All are welcome, but space is limited! Food will be provided.

Click here to register for the event!

Event schedule:

6 – 6:15 PM: Opening cocktails
6:15 – 6:25 PM: Welcome speech by Sasha Prokuda, Executive Director for the Chicago Council on Science and Technology
6:30 – 6:45 PM: Presentation of 2023 Innovator and Motivator Awards
6:45 – 7:30 PM: Networking

Innovator Awards

2023 Innovator Award – Mid/Senior Career: Shivani Garg, Ph.D., Project Manager, Strain Engineering, LanzaTech Inc.

For her research applying synthetic biology to engineer anaerobic acetogen for the production of fuels and chemicals.

2023 Innovator Award – Early Career: Sruti Dammalapati, M.S., Scientist, AI & Computational Biology, LanzaTech Inc.

For her research on high-performing biocatalysts using computer-guided methods and applied machine learning techniques to model systems.

2023 Innovator Award – Early Career: Ashwini Bedekar, Ph.D., Research Scientist, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

For her research contributions to environmental biotechnology and bioprocess engineering. Specifically, for her research on the biological conversion of methane through the use of methane-eating bacteria to mitigate climate change and utilize waste gases.

Motivator Awards

2023 Motivator Award – Mid/Senior Career: Marilene Pavan, Innovation Manager, LanzaTech Inc.

For her development of the first-ever mentorship program at LanzaTech, along with her continued dedication to mentoring women in STEM through her participation in AWIS-CAC’s Summer Mentoring Circles, Northwestern University’s scientific internship program, and the iGEM Uganda Team.

2023 Motivator Award – Mid/Senior Career: Hilary Kenny, Ph.D., Research Associate Professor, University of Chicago

For her demonstration of continued dedication to the support and mentorship of women in STEM disciplines.

2023 Motivator Award – Early Career: Lucille Ray, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Illinois Chicago

For her dedication to mentorship and education for women and LGBTQIA+ persons in STEM through her participation in ComSciCon 2022’s “Advocating for Science” and IIT’s “Queer in STEM” panels, in addition to her continued support of aspiring research scientists in her positional as a postdoctoral fellow.