Top Female Leader in STEM Field Named From Inland Empire

Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council (GSSGC) named Dr. Sharon Walker, assistant professor for the Bourns College of Engineering at the University of California, Riverside, as the top female leader in San Bernardino and Riverside in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.

Dr. Sharon Walker is an Assistant Professor and John Babbage Chair at the Bourns College of Engineering at UC Riverside where she has served as the Faculty Advisor to the local Society of Women Engineers since 2005. The SWE has worked with the local Girl Scout council for a number of years on Space Science and Engineering Day, an annual Girl Scout Day outreach program, as well as hosting the Minds for Design summer day camp, which introduces girls to the prospects of potential careers in science and engineering. Dr. Walker earned her Girl Scout Gold Award in 1992 having been both a Cadet and Senior Scout. She believes that her experiences in Girl Scouts played a formative role in her teen years.

Dr. Walker holds two B.S. degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Engineering from USC, as well as a M.S. in Chemical and Environmental Engineering and a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Yale University. She is a member of the American Chemical Society (ACS), American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), American Society of Microbiology (ASM), Association for Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and Association of Women in Science (AWIS). Dr. Walker is also a member of Chi Epsilon and Tau Beta Pi and currently serves as faculty advisor to the UC Riverside Alpha Beta chapter of Tau Beta Pi. She was awarded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency STAR Fellowship and the National Water Research Institute Graduate Fellowship. She has worked as a project/research assistant at USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies, and as assistant to the managing editor of the Journal of Engineering Mechanics and Dynamics at USC’s School of Engineering.

“Dr. Walker is recognized for making outstanding achievements in her professional and personal lives that embody the Girl Scout ideal of courage, confidence and character,” said Jessica Lawrence, the Girl Scouts chief executive officer. “Girl Scouts is the world’s preeminent organization for girls and women. With nearly 100 years of experience, Girl Scouting has a long established history of leading the industry in terms of leadership development. With that kind of record behind us, we are confident in our selection of Dr. Walker as the top female leader in the STEM fields in the two-county area.”

The Women of Distinction Awards Luncheon is scheduled for April 16, 2008 at the Riverside Marriott, 3400 Market Street in Riverside, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Event hostesses are Patti Cotton Pettis, executive director for Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital Foundation and a member of the GSSGC board of directors, and Gail Guge, CBA, APR, managing director for Wilkin Guge Marketing and recently named Business Woman of the Year. For more information, please contact the GSSGC at (800) 400-4475 or online at www.gssgc.org.

The Women of Distinction program is a strong symbol of Girl Scouts’ commitment to the leadership development of girls in the community. All the honorees have made a significant impact to their community by demonstrating the ideals of Girl Scouting. They serve as important role models in helping girls develop into successful and confident young women.

The Women of Distinction Awards Luncheon is sponsored by America’s Best Cookies (ABC), Security Bank, Marketwire and Burgess Moving & Storage and is open to the public. Tickets are $50 per person. Proceeds support programs for local girls to help them develop to their fullest potential and become competent, resourceful women. For more information, call (800) 400-4475 or visit www.gssgc.org.

About Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council

Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council (GSSGC) serves more than 15,000 girls in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. With the dedicated support of 5,000 adult volunteers, Girl Scouts meets the needs of girls ages 5 to 17 years through fun, value-based, educational programs. For more information, visit the GSSGC website at www.gssgc.org or call (800) 400-4475.

 For additional information, contact: Michelle Eklund Director of Public Affairs and Marketing (909) 721-8371 cell Email Contact

SOURCE: Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council