Foundation Member Janeen Judah has worn many hats in her time in Phi Mu, but you may know her best from her role as Constitution and Bylaws Chairman. For years, Janeen has ‘run the floor’ during Convention business sessions, informing members of proposed changes to the Constitution and Bylaws each biennium, and answering any questions they might have as they prepare to cast their vote.  In addition to C&B Chairman, Janeen is also a Past National Council Member, 1852 Society Member and a Three Star Foundation Donor. Janeen is always there to lend an experienced ear and has been instrumental in helping to advance the Fraternity and Foundation over the years.

Earlier this year, Janeen announced her retirement after a trailblazing engineering career with Chevron. Most recently serving as the president of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and as general manager of Chevron’s South Africa business, Janeen’s rich experience in her industry won’t stop with retirement. Now serving on the board of directors for Patterson-UTI Energy, Janeen is expanding her passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) through her work.

“I am a big advocate for engineering as a surefire way for first-generation college students to get on a career trajectory with only four years of college and little debt, if you help finance your college with internships. Most of the grand challenges faced by our society are engineering challenges — energy for all, technology access, clean air and water, climate change, medical advances (as the interface between engineering and medicine gets fuzzier) — and the need for technical minds has never been greater. Girls should not be afraid to aim high and study STEM fields and be problem-solvers!” (Quote taken from an article on Janeen, written by Pink Petro. Click here for the full interview.)

Building on Janeen’s personal and professional commitment to investing in women in the engineering industry, we are proud to announce that the Janeen Judah Sisters in Engineering Scholarship will be available for the 2019-20 academic year. Thank you, Janeen, for helping to advance the lifetime development of women and the next generation of groundbreaking engineers!

If you are interested in learning more about how you or your chapter can establish a scholarship fund, please contact Director of Major Gifts Mandi Young at myoung@phimu.org.

This summer at Convention, we had the opportunity to hear from one of our Phi Mu Foundation Scholarship Recipients, Dr. Jennifer Rhatigan, Alpha Nu, on how her scholarship helped her accomplish her academic and career goals. Dr. Rhatigan joined Phi Mu at the University of Florida and later received her Master’s Degree from North Carolina State University with the help of a Phi Mu Foundation Scholarship. When she graduated from N.C. State, NASA was hiring engineers to design and build the International Space Station, and she had the incredible opportunity to be part of that team. If you happen to look up and see the Space Station in the night sky, remember that a Phi Mu helped build it!

“In 1987, I was pursuing a Master’s Degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at North Carolina State University. As a scholarship recipient, Phi Mu Foundation believed in me at a time when women were openly discouraged from pursuing engineering degrees, much less advanced degrees in engineering.”

In addition to her amazing career in mechanical and aerospace engineering, Dr. Rhatigan also serves as Chapter Adviser for the Eta Sigma Chapter at University of California-Merced and is a member of the Legacy League annual giving program.  Thank you, Dr. Rhatigan, for giving back to Phi Mu and inspiring all of us to reach for the stars (quite literally)!

During the Foundation Business Session this summer, members elected five women to the Phi Mu Foundation Board of Trustees for the 2018-2022 term, rounding out the 12-member board of volunteers who guide the Foundation forward. These women joined the sitting Trustees in electing Foundation President Pamela Gaines, ΕΑ, and Corporate Secretary/Treasurer Jennifer Chapman Joyner, ΑΙ. Also appointed to the board were Fraternity National President and Foundation Chairman of the Board Andie Burchett Kash, ΔΗ, and Fraternity National Vice President Beth Denney Ward, ΔΗ.

Together, these women have served Phi Mu Fraternity in nearly every volunteer capacity possible, including as National Presidents and National Council members, Area Membership Directors, Chapter Advisers, Chapter Association Presidents, Chapter Consultants, Graduate Counselors and so much more! Their incredible experience is marked by the decades of servant leadership they have provided to Phi Mu members and now bring with them to the Foundation. This group of talented and driven women is prepared to take the Foundation to new heights over the next biennium, and we want to take the opportunity over the next several weeks to introduce each of them to you.

Join us as we celebrate “Trustee Tuesdays” and feature one Trustee each week on our website and social media, beginning next Tuesday, November 13. In the meantime, make sure you’re following us @PhiMuFoundation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram so that you don’t miss a thing!