IU First Lady Receives Leadership Award
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowWomen and Hi Tech has given Indiana University First Lady Laurie Burns McRobbie its 2014 Leadership Award. The nonprofit group works to engage and support Indiana women in science, technology and engineering. October 2, 2014
News Release
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana University first lady Laurie Burns McRobbie has received the 2014 Leadership Award from Women and Hi Tech, a nonprofit organization that serves to engage, educate and support women in science, technology and engineering in Indiana. The award recognizes an individual whose outstanding leadership has significantly contributed to the success of Indiana women in technology.
McRobbie received the award during the Leading Light Awards event Oct. 1 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in Indianapolis, where she was celebrated for her exceptional achievements in promoting women and technology at IU and throughout Indiana.
As an active adjunct faculty member in the IU School of Informatics and Computing, McRobbie has advanced new opportunities for women in technology at IU. She is co-founder and advisory council chair of the Center of Excellence for Women in Technology. Launched in 2013, the center is a community of female students, staff and faculty with professional interests in technology, regardless of academic or administrative field.
“In one year of operation, CEWiT has already built a very large community and presence at IU Bloomington, and it is being looked at as a national model. Laurie has been a huge driving force behind CEWiT, and it certainly wouldn’t have happened without her persistence and advocacy,” said Bobby Schnabel, dean of the School of Informatics and Computing at IU.
McRobbie’s commitment to technology, service and student engagement also inspired the creation of the Serve IT program. Serve IT is a service-learning program that gives students the opportunity to provide technology services to Bloomington-area nonprofits. More than 26 Bloomington-area nonprofits have been involved with the program, and more than 40 percent of the participating students are women. As co-founder and advisory chair of Serve IT, McRobbie’s leadership directly impacts the success of Serve IT.
“Laurie’s personal belief in ‘technology for social good’ goes beyond campus borders to impact the Bloomington community,” IU Bloomington Provost Lauren Robel said.
In addition to her efforts to promote and support women and tech throughout IU’s eight campuses, McRobbie has been widely praised for her presentations and keynotes on women in technology. In 2013, she presented a TEDx talk about “Technology for Social Good,” and she continues to be a leading voice for the positive benefits of “being a techie woman.”
Her work at IU builds on her 25-year career in IT, including eight years as an executive director with Internet2, the advanced technology consortium for which IU operates its national and international networks. As part of her work with Internet2, McRobbie most recently led the formation of its Gender Diversity Initiative.
Source: Indiana University