TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Partnership to Advance Science Engineering and Technology awarded University of Alabama mechanical engineering graduate student Heather Hendrix the Outstanding College Student Horizon Award at the Society of Women Engineers National Conference in Birmingham.

Hendrix, a native of Dothan, was the only college student in the nation to receive this award. Dr. Beth Todd, associate professor of mechanical engineering, nominated Hendrix for the award because of her accomplishments as a role model for future women engineers.

“Heather deserves this award because of her diligent work in introducing science programs to young women,” said Todd.

Hendrix graduated from UA with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. She has served as a role model through her work with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Society of Women Engineers. Hendrix also was a co-chair of ASME’s UA-ME Day, an event designed to introduce female high school students to mechanical engineering.

Hendrix has made several presentations to elementary school students about her experiences doing research for NASA, has tutored more than 200 freshman and sophomore engineering students, and has guest lectured in the freshman engineering course. In addition, Hendrix was the 2003 SWE national conference committee co-chair for Explore Engineering, an outreach program for more than 200 high school students.

The Partnership to Advance Science, Engineering and Technology is a non-profit organization dedicated to promote the presence of, and need for, women in the fields of science, engineering and technology.

SWE was founded in 1950 and is the largest non-profit educational and service organization representing both student and professional women in engineering and technical fields.

In 1837, UA became the first university in the state to offer engineering classes and was one of the first five in the nation to do so. Today, the College of Engineering, with about 1,900 students and more than 90 faculty, is one of the three oldest continuously operating engineering programs in the country and has been fully accredited since accreditation standards were implemented in the 1930s.