For demonstrating outstanding scholarship, leadership, and service at the Georgia Institute of Technology, undergraduate student Hannah Huang has won the 2021 Helen Grenga Outstanding Woman Engineer Award from the Women in Engineering (WIE) program at Georgia Tech.

Huang, a senior in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE), “has already made a profound, lasting impact on our School through her leadership and mentoring,” said Professor Victor Breedveld, ChBE’s associate chair of undergraduate studies, who nominated her for the honor.

When Huang switched her major from biochemistry to ChBE during her first year, she found that pursuing mentorship opportunities (including WIE, Mentor Jackets, and ChBE First-Year Peer Mentoring), played an important part in her success.

“Since then, she has transformed from an eager mentee to a sought-after mentor,” noted Breedveld in his nomination.

Community Service

Huang has served as a ChBE First-Year Peer Mentor, advising new students, as well as a ChBE Student Ambassador, helping with prospective student sessions/building tours and freshman orientation (FASET). She is also a member of the Peer-Led Help Desk team, which offers advice and perspective from senior-students during weekly online sessions.

Huang has continued to be mentored herself by an alumna from the Georgia Tech Alumni Association, a graduate student mentor, and a member of the research lab where she works.

“I’ve had amazing women mentors during my time at Tech,” Huang said. “They’ve let nothing hold them back as they’ve pursued their goals and stayed true to who they are. So, when I’ve had the privilege to mentor students, I’ve really encouraged them to pursue their interests and get engaged with organizations and opportunities. There are so many ways to serve the community.”

Professor Breedveld was so impressed by Huang’s work as co-president of the ChBE Student Advisory Board, helping to transform it into a more proactive student organization, that he nominated her to serve on the College of Engineering’s Undergraduate Student Advisory Council during 2020-21.

“It’s been very exciting to be involved with students with other schools, sharing experiences and building relationships and unity among engineers,” Huang said.

Research Experience

During 2020-21, Huang has also gained experience working in the research lab of Associate Professor Ryan Lively. As part of his team, she is now co-writing a review article focused on selective membrane materials for energy-efficient separations.

Since 2019, she has worked as a research-and-development intern at The Coca-Cola Company, where she supports efforts to increase the amount of recycled content in beverage bottles.

Huang is interested in pursuing career opportunities in the packaging industry and might eventually earn an MBA or law degree.

But she still has another year to go at Georgia Tech after earning her BS in summer 2021. She is part of ChBE’s BS/MS program, enabling students to receive bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years.

Huang, who grew up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, learned more about Georgia Tech after moving to Atlanta with her family near the start of her senior year of high school. “I loved math, physics, and chemistry, so I was interested to combine them in a meaningful way that would be impactful.”

Although she initially declared her major as biochemistry, she soon switched to ChBE. “I wanted to explore doing things on a large scale in an economical way to help develop safe products and improve the human condition,” she explained. “The biggest skill we learn as chemical engineers is how to approach problems and solve them, working together. I’m grateful to be learning alongside outstanding students with a great sense of camaraderie.”

Huang, who will graduate among the top 5% of Georgia Tech’s 2021 class, credits ChBE’s professors and advisors as key to her academic success. “The professors and academic advisors really care about the students and are very encouraging and supportive," she said. "As a teaching assistant, I witness first-hand the work that professors put into the classroom and appreciate their dedication to ensuring students’ success.”