(Front row left to right) Blaga Popova, Noelle Nelson, Elizabeth Banachowski and Monia Majcher were presented scholarships from OU alumnus John Felice, SECS ’76, vice president of Manufacturing Technology and Global Enterprise for DaimlerChrysler Corporation (back left) and OU School of Engineering and Computer Science Dean Pieter Frick (back right).

Four of Oakland University’s top engineering students were honored by DaimlerChrylser recently with $3,000 scholarships for their dedication to the field. The recipients are all focusing on different aspects of engineering but they all have one thing in common — they are all female. Monica Majcher, mechanical engineering junior; Noelle Nelson, mechanical engineering senior; Blaga Popova, electrical engineering junior; and Elizabeth Banachowski, mechanical engineering senior, were recommended to receive Chrysler Foundation scholarships based on their academic achievement and community involvement.

“We all hope that you continue to strive to become model engineers and inspire others to follow in your footsteps,” said Virinder Moudgil, vice president for Academic Affairs and provost.

In January 2006, the American Society for Engineering Education ranked OU 19^th nationally for its high percentage of female engineering faculty members, which inspire the students, according to School of Engineering and Computer Science Dean Pieter Frick.

The students who received the scholarships were identified not only for their grade point averages bur also their involvement in outside activities.

“It takes a lot to do well in classes but it takes a lot more to stretch yourself to do more than just coursework,” said Laila Guessous, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and faculty adviser to OU’s Society of Women Engineers.

Nelson, a senior, is pursuing a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering, a bachelor of arts in chemistry and is also a member of the Honors College. A dean’s list honoree, Nelson is a member of Tau Beta Pi, Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society and the Society for Women Engineers. She has also completed three years of collegiate Japanese and has received awards for her achievements in calculus.

Banachowski currently serves as the president of the Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, in which she gives presentations for high school students, organizes and raised funds for the group’s trip to the EMBS conference in New York and recruit new members. Banachowski is also a member of the Society of Women Engineers and the IEEE/EMBS professional organization. She also participated in the “Biocomplexity from System to Gene” summer school program at Dartmouth University in July 2005. She has volunteered at blood drives, her church and the Oxford Parks and Recreation Department and is a member of OU’s Triathlon Club. Currently, Banachowski is also a co-op engineer at BorgWarner, where she is able to put her classroom knowledge to use.

The recipient of the Michigan Society of Professional Engineering 2006 Student Engineer of the Year Award, Majcher spent the summer interning at General Motor’s Tech Center in Warren. She has also served as the secretary of the Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society and president of Students for Life at Oakland University. Majcher has received a number of scholarships including the American Polish Engineering Association Scholarship, OU Talented Scholars Award, Trustee Academic Success Scholarship and the Anibal Excellence Scholarship.

Popova came to the United States 10 years ago. At first, she wanted to be an architect but has come to find her passion in electrical engineering. She serves as treasurer of the Society of Women Engineers, a group she has belonged to since 2005. Popova currently works for Edict Incorporated, designing, creating and managing Web sites with a variety of applications.

The students were presented the scholarships from OU alumnus John Felice, SECS ’76, vice president of Manufacturing Technology and Global Enterprise for DaimlerChrysler Corporation. The scholarships are made possible through the DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund’s Aid to Higher Education Program. OU students have received up to $150,000 in Aid to Higher Education grant awards annually for a number of years.

For more information on SECS, visit the School of Engineering and Computer Science Web site.