Girlstart Announces 2015 Women in Stem Award Honorees

TO BE RECOGNIZED AT GAME CHANGERS ANNUAL LUNCHEON ON SEPT. 2

GIRLSTART ANNOUNCES 2015 WOMEN IN STEM AWARD HONOREES, TO BE RECOGNIZED AT GAME CHANGERS ANNUAL LUNCHEON ON SEPT. 23

(AUSTIN) – Girlstart has announced the recipients of its 2015 Women in STEM Awards, honoring women who have distinguished themselves in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) careers and have been inspirational to girls seeking to pursue STEM education and STEM careers.

The award recipients will be honored as part of Game Changers, Girlstart’s annual luncheon event, which takes place this year on Wednesday, Sept. 23 at the JW Marriott Hotel (110 E. 2nd), featuring Jacqueline Fuller, director of Google.org (which provides more than $100 million yearly to support tech innovators making transformational impact in areas such as education, development and renewable energy), as this year’s keynote speaker.

Honorees include:

Alice Brooks and Bettina Chen, Co-Founders of Roominate, a Bay Area company specializing in a “unique blend of building, circuits, design, crafts, storytelling, and creativity” geared to “inspire the next generation of innovators;”

Laura Bosworth, CEO and co-founder of TeVido BioDevices, a biotech startup that uses innovative 3D printing to create custom breast implants and grafts, made from a woman’s own cells, for reconstruction after cancer treatment;

Nasrin Rezai, GE Capital’s Global Chief Information Security Officer and head of Corp. Security & Compliance Officer for the industrial GE businesses;

Runi Duvall, this year’s Alumna Honoree, who participated in the inaugural Girlstart program and went on to earn a Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering and a Masters degree in Construction Engineering and Project Management from The University of Texas at Austin. She is currently the Senior Construction Manager for Hanger, Inc., the nation’s leading provider of orthotic and prosthetic patient care and rehabilitative solutions.

Sponsorships are still available for Game Changers, and a limited number of individual tickets are still available. More information on the event, including more on the award honorees and a list of current sponsors, is online at www.girlstart.org/support-girlstart/annual-luncheon.

ABOUT GIRLSTART

Girlstart, founded in Austin in 1997, is the only community-based informal STEM education nonprofit in the nation specifically dedicated to empowering and equipping girls in STEM, through year-round programming that promotes girls’ early engagement and academic success in STEM, encourages girls’ aspirations and persistence in STEM education and careers, and incubates a talented and diverse STEM workforce. Its innovative, nationally-recognized programs include after-school and summer camps for students, professional development for teachers, and community and online STEM education outreach programs. Girlstart cultivates a culture where risk is rewarded, curiosity is encouraged, and creativity is expected. As a result, Girlstart girls are connected, brave, and resilient. Girlstart makes girls more successful, and inspires them to take on the world’s greatest challenges.