SWE Santa Clara Valley Section
Section Selected, Endowed Scholarships
The diverse members of the SWE Santa Clara Valley Section (SWE-SCV) reside in the California regions of South Bay, Lower Peninsula, and Santa Cruz. This professional section was founded in 1970 and has endowed five memorial scholarships through SWE. Undergraduate and graduate students pursuing accredited engineering or computer science majors and who identify as women with school or home addresses within the boundaries of SWE SCV are eligible to apply. A biography of each SWE SCV scholarship honorary is provided below.
Available to applicants in California only. Click here for further information.
Mary Nell Rogers Memorial Scholarship
Mary Nell Rogers [1934-2012]
This endowed scholarship is in honor and memory of Mary Nell Rogers and was established in 2014. After working as an electrical engineer in the 1950s, Mary interrupted her career to raise a family. She resumed her career in 1976, working for Lockheed Missiles & Space Company. Her lasting legacy is as a tireless advocate for education outreach, including SWE’s GetSET and scholarship programs, and innumerable contributions within the Girl Scouts. In addition, as an officer in SWE, the Girl Scouts, and the Silicon Valley Engineering Council, she made vital contributions to the operational effectiveness of each organization. She mentored dozens of young professionals, enthusiastically sharing her knowledge and methods, and encouraging their lifelong volunteerism.
Mary G. Ross Memorial Scholarship
Mary G. Ross [1908-2008]
This endowed scholarship is in honor and memory of Mary G. Ross and was established in 1992. Mary was hired by Lockheed Martin as a mathematician in 1942 and eventually became the first woman engineer to work for the company. She was a pioneer in the research, development, and application of theories on ballistics, orbital mechanics, and astrophysics. Mary was also a licensed Professional Engineer in California. Many of her professional contributions have gone unrecognized, as much of her work remains classified to this day. However, she received the 1961 Woman of Distinction Award from the San Francisco Examiner, became an Honorary Life Member of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society in 1973, and was inducted into the Silicon Valley Hall of Fame in 1992. She was dedicated in her support of girls and Native Americans pursuing careers in engineering and science.
Esther Williams Memorial Scholarship
Esther Williams [1913-1999]
This scholarship is in honor and memory of Esther H. Williams, an internationally recognized expert in aerospace materials and failure analysis. This scholarship was originally established in 1992 and named in honor of Esther Williams in 2012. Esther’s distinguished career with Lockheed Missiles & Space Company spanned more than 30 years, including visionary work with the use of titanium in aircraft and key contributions to both the Lockheed Polaris missile and the Hubble Space Telescope.
Esther was the recipient of the 1972 and 1983 Society of Manufacturing Engineers Professional Achievement Awards and the 1987 Washington State University Achievement Award. Esther was inducted into the Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Fame in 1991 in the second class of inductees, along with William Hewlett, David Packard, and Dale Compton (Head of NASA Ames). Esther was a 1981 Fellow of SWE. She was a founder of both the Los Angeles and the Santa Clara Valley Sections of SWE. Esther was the first Region B Director, served as National Convention Chair, and was active in SWE section leadership for many years.
Al Gardner Memorial Scholarship
Al Gardner [1920 – 2011]
This scholarship is in honor and memory of Al Gardner and was established in 2012. Al was an active supporter and honorary member of SWE. He earned his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Aeronautical Engineering from New York University, then studied for a second Masters in Industrial Engineering at Ohio State University. He was a dedicated supporter of women engineers through his influential position as assistant to four presidents at Lockheed Missiles & Space Company. His drive and determination helped pave the way for women engineers since the 1960s.
Irmgard FluggeLotz Memorial Scholarship
Irmgard Flugge-Lotz [1903-1974]
This scholarship is in honor and memory of Irmgard FluggeLotz Scholarship, a true aeronautics pioneer. This scholarship was established in 2012. Born in Germany in 1903, Irmgard was one of the first women in the world to study aeronautics, earning her doctorate in 1929. She applied her mathematical skills to develop lifting line theory, a fundamental breakthrough to compute the lift distribution of an airplane wing. She left Europe in 1948 to teach at Stanford University, with a focus on fluid mechanics, numerical methods, and automatic control theory. In 1960, she became the first female full professor in Stanford’s College of Engineering. In 1970, she was selected as the recipient of the SWE Achievement Award, the highest honor awarded nationally by SWE.
