Alice Agogino facts for kids

Alice Merner Agogino (born in 1952) is an American mechanical engineer. She is famous for helping more women and people of color join the engineering field. She also does important research.

Her work includes artificial intelligence (AI), computer-aided design (CAD), and smart learning systems. She also studies wireless sensor networks. In 1997, she became a member of the National Academy of Engineering. This was for her work with AI and for making engineering education better.

Becoming an Engineer

Alice Agogino started her journey at the University of New Mexico. She earned her first degree in mechanical engineering in 1975. Three years later, she got her master's degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

She then went to Stanford University for her Ph.D. Her studies there focused on engineering and how it connects with money and business. She finished her Ph.D. in 1984.

Her Work and Discoveries

Alice Agogino started working even before she finished college. From 1972 to 1973, she was a project engineer at Dow Chemical. Later, she worked as a mechanical engineer at General Electric.

In 1979, she started her own company, Agogino Engineering. It is still active today! She also worked as a systems analyst for SRI. From 1980 to 1981, she led a program at Santa Clara University called "Women in Engineering." This program helped encourage women to study engineering.

In 1984, Alice Agogino became a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. She is now a very important professor there. From 1995 to 1999, she helped lead Berkeley's College of Engineering. She also directed its Instructional Technology Program.

She has received money from the National Science Foundation (NSF). This funding helps her work with "Synthesis," a program that makes engineering education better for college students. She has also been on important committees for the NSF and the National Academy of Engineering.

Today, her research focuses on technology that helps the environment. This is called "sustainable technology." She also works on AI and robotics that can do good things for people. In 2017, she helped start a company called Squishy Robotics, Inc. She is the CEO of this company.

Awards and Recognitions

Alice Agogino has received many honors. She is a "fellow" of several important science groups. These include the National Academy of Engineering and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She is also a member of the Society of Women Engineers.

Here are some of the awards she has received:

• Presidential Young Investigator Award, NSF (1985)
• Young Manufacturing Engineer of the Year (1987)
• Director's Award for Distinguished Teaching Scholars, NSF (2004)
• Chancellor's Award for Advancing Institutional Excellence (2006)
• Professor of the Year, Pi Tau Sigma Berkeley (2011)
• Lifetime Mentoring Award, AAAS (2012–2013)
• Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics & Engineering Mentoring (2018)
• 2020 Athena Award for Academic Leadership (2020)

See also

In Spanish: Alice Agogino para niños