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The Cullen College of Engineering came together on March 5 for the 11th Women in Engineering Celebration, hosted in the Shamrock Ballroom of the UH Hilton.

The event, underwritten by Cynthia Oliver Coleman, P.E. (’71), fosters a community of support among engineering students and professionals by promoting the success and advancement of women in engineering.

At this year’s event, the Cynthia Oliver Coleman, P.E. 2025 Rising Star Award was given to Renee Badilla, a junior biomedical engineering student and member of the Society of Women Engineers. Read more about Badilla here. You can also read more about Coleman’s story as UH’s first Black woman chemical engineer here. Kim Topps, an alumna of the Electrical Engineering program that’s worked for Dow, Honeywell and other large firms, gave the keynote address this year.

For a full photo gallery from this year’s event, click here. Photo galleries are also available for the 2024, 2023, 2022, 2019 and 2018 events.

Pradeep Sharma, Dean of the Cullen College of Engineering, described how meaningful events like this were to him on a personal and professional level.

“My wife and I met back in 1996 as graduate students in engineering. After graduating, we started our careers together at General Electric R&D before making our way to the University of Houston, where she is now a professor and an assistant vice president,” he said.

“Through her journey, I witnessed firsthand the trials and tribulations she faced in a field historically dominated by men. It was an eye-opening experience and fundamentally altered how I think. As a faculty member, I’ve had the privilege of mentoring many outstanding women in my research group. Watching them grow into leaders — whether in academia, industry, or beyond — has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career. Their success reinforces what we already know — Women in engineering are not just thriving, they are shaping the future of this field.”

All alumni and students who attended received a gift and were invited to the stage to introduce themselves. The enthusiasm in the room allowed guests to network and feel a sense of community.

Diana De La Rosa-Pohl, Instructional Associate Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, gave the opening remarks for this year’s event.

“For more than a decade, thanks to the vision of Cynthia Oliver Coleman, P.E., hundreds of UH engineering students and alumni have come together to lift each other up and provide a support network through this annual gathering,” she said. “We’re here tonight to celebrate, learn from each other and continue to grow.”

Want to make sure you don’t miss the 2026 Women in Engineering Celebration? Bookmark the landing page for future events!