Exhibit looks at Tri-State women in engineering

ANGOLA (12/04/2017) — An exhibit opening Tuesday, Dec. 5, in the lower level of the LINK library on the Trine University campus highlights women in engineering who graduated from Tri-State University, the predecessor to Trine University, prior to 1980.

"Discovering Tri-State's Hidden Figures: An Exhibit of Women in Engineering Before 1980" is the final project for three sections of English Composition I taught by Alison Witte, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Humanities and Communication.

Students have conducted archival and primary research in conjunction with reading "Hidden Figures," the story of African-American female mathematicians who worked for NASA in the 1960s. The exhibit features biographical posters of Tri-State alumnae whom students interviewed and posters for notable alumnae, including the first female engineering graduate (Class of 1921) and Isabelle French (Class of 1962), a former national president of the Society of Women Engineers.

The exhibit also includes items from university archives pertaining to women in engineering and the study of engineering at Tri-State prior to 1980. It opens formally at 3:30 p.m. Dec. 5 and will be on display through Wednesday, Dec. 13.

"This exhibit is a chance for students, staff, faculty and community members to learn a little more about the remarkable women who have studied engineering at Tri-State and gone on to do great things in both industry and their communities," said Witte. "It also showcases the wonderful work of our current students."

The LINK is located in the Rick L. and Vicki L. James University Center on the Trine University campus, and is open to the public.

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Trine University, an internationally recognized, private, co-educational, residential institution, offers associate's, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in the Allen School of Engineering & Technology, Ketner School of Business, College of Graduate and Professional Studies, Franks School of Education, Jannen School of Arts & Sciences and Rinker-Ross School of Health Sciences. Trine is a member of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association and offers 23 varsity sports. Its golf program includes the university-owned 18-hole championship Zollner Golf Course. Founded in 1884 and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org), Trine operates a 450-acre main campus in Angola, Indiana, and education resource centers throughout Indiana and Michigan.

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