35th Annual Scholarship Program
On May 5th, 2025 we recognized 5 young women from the Central New York region who are headed to college for STEM related majors in the coming fall. In addition to our members, we joined by representatives of several of our sponsors, the scholarship recipients, and the recipients families and teachers, as well as by our Keynote Speaker, Valerie Lisi, Associate Director of Engineering Sustainability for HVAC at Carrier. The event was held at Carrier, in East Syracuse, NY. We are pleased to share that we received outstanding support from both long-term and new sponsors this year- raising the second highest amount in program history- enabling us to award a $3000 scholarship to each recipient. It was a lovely evening and we look forward to continuing the tradition in 2026.
Keynote Speaker
We are pleased to share that this year’s keynote speaker was Valerie Lisi, Associate Director of Engineering Sustainability for HVAC at Carrier.
Valerie Lisi is a Senior Principle Engineer and the Decarbonization Strategy Lead for Engineering at Carrier. Originally from Buffalo, NY, Valerie recently returned to her hometown to work remotely after spending a decade in Syracuse. She holds a B.S. in Chemistry from SUNY Fredonia and has a diverse background in ceramic engineering, refrigerant manufacturing, materials engineering, laboratory management, and sustainability. At Carrier, Valerie leverages her expertise in greenhouse gas emissions accounting and HVAC engineering to shape the company’s decarbonization strategy for its product portfolio. She leads Carrier’s Net Zero Project for engineering—an ambitious initiative aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050.
Valerie’s passion for environmental sustainability is deeply rooted in her love of the outdoors. She spent many summers in nature: at overnight camps as a child and then as a counselor, as well as and backpacking along sections of the Appalachian Trail. Through her work, she strives to address climate change and help ensure that future generations can live, thrive, and enjoy the world around them.
34th Annual Scholarship Program
On May 20th, 2024 we recognized 4 young women from the Central New York region who are headed to college for STEM related majors in the coming fall. In addition to our members, we joined by representatives of several of our sponsors, the scholarship recipients, and the recipients families and teachers, as well as by our Keynote Speaker, Katie Backus, PE, Vice President of Gas Program Delivery at National Grid. The event was held at Carrier, in East Syracuse, NY. Though this was not a record breaking year in regards to sponsorship we still received outstanding support from both long-term and new sponsors- each recipient received a $1750 scholarship. It was a lovely evening and we look forward to continuing the tradition in 2025.
Keynote Speaker
We are pleased to share that this year’s keynote speaker was Katie Backus, PE.
Katie is the Vice President of Gas Program Delivery at National Grid. She is accountable as the Gas Business Lead for new technologies being deployed within the Gas Business Unit. Her responsibilities consist of translating operational business needs to the Information Technology organization and ensuring that business users are engaged and prepared to accept and effectively use the new technologies. In addition, Katie is leading the digital delivery shift for the Gas Business Unit which involves establishing an operating model to set strategy and create an organization focused on maintaining, enhancing and re-imagining systems that support Operations. Her career is highlighted by several positions of increased responsibility at National Grid, including Gas Engineering, Gas Asset Management, Corrosion Control, and Gas Operations.
She was born and raised in Sheldon, VT and attended Clarkson University, where she graduated with a BS in Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering. She holds an advanced degree in Business Administration from Excelsior University. In addition, she holds her Professional Engineering license in New York.
Katie resides in Baldwinsville, NY with her husband Michael and is the proud mother two boys: Mark (11) and Luke (7). When not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, cycling, reading, and traveling.
33rd Annual Scholarship Program
On May 22nd, 2023 we recognized 6 young women from the Central New York region who are headed to college for STEM related majors in the coming fall. In addition to our members, we joined by representatives of several of our sponsors, the scholarship recipients, and the recipients families and teachers. The event was held at Carrier, in East Syracuse, NY. Though this was not a record breaking year in regards to sponsorship we still received outstanding support from both long-term and new sponsors- each recipient received $1,500 and the event had it’s largest attendance on record. It was a lovely evening and we look forward to continuing the tradition in 2024.
Keynote Speaker
We are pleased to share that this year’s keynote speaker was Kristen Nelson, CMRP, CRL.
Kristen Nelson is the Plant Manager at Novelis’ Oswego facility. She is responsible for daily operations of the Oswego facility, which includes overseeing production and manufacturing to ensure ongoing safety, productivity, and community leadership. Kristen joined Novelis in 2012 as a Reliability Engineer, supporting the build of the first Automotive Finishing Lines in Oswego. She went on to hold various positions at the plant before taking on the role of Plant Manager at Novelis Warren, OH facility and then returning to Oswego. Kristen is active member of Women in Novelis, an employee resource group dedicated to connecting and empowering women employees and spent two years as the Novelis North America Chair for WiN.
Kristen holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Clarkson University. In addition, she is a Certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional and a Certified Reliability Leader. Kristen is passionate about STEM education and supports access to STEM programs for students of all ages.
32nd Annual Scholarship Program
On May 23rd, 2022 we recognized 5 young women from the Central New York region who are headed to college for STEM related majors in the coming fall. In addition to our members, we joined by representatives of several of our sponsors, the scholarship recipients, and the recipients families and teachers. The event was held at Carrier, in East Syracuse, NY. Though this was not a record breaking year in regards to sponsorship we still received outstanding support from both long-term and new sponsors- each recipient received $2,250 and the event had it’s largest attendance in several years. It was a lovely evening and we look forward to continuing the tradition in 2023.
Keynote Speaker
We are pleased to share that this year’s keynote speaker was Lauren Livermore, P.E., BCEE.
Lauren Livermore is a Deputy Commissioner at Onondaga County Department of Water Environment Protection. Previous to her current role at WEP, she spent 18 years in engineering consulting at two firms in the Syracuse area focusing on the planning, design, construction and managing of water resource recovery assets. She is a graduate of Clarkson University with a bachelor of science in civil engineering with a concentration in environmental engineering. Ms. Livermore is a professional engineer in New York State, as well as a Board Certified Environmental Engineer. She is a member of SWE, the American Public Works Association and the New York Water Environment Association where she just finished up her term as president in February of this year. Ms. Livermore is also a CNY 40 under 40 award winner and is also a recipient of the Greater Syracuse Area Section SWE scholarship in 2000.
