Alexis (Hillock) McKittrick, '01 Receives Prestigious Award

ALEXANDRIA, VA (November 2019) – Alexis McKittrick, Ph.D., a research staff member in the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI) at the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) has been named a recipient of the 2019 Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Emerging Leader Award in recognition of her STEM achievements and community contributions. 

According to SWE Conference 2019 issue of SWE Magazine, McKittrick is recognized “for demonstrating technical expertise and insight in shaping science policy; for consistent leadership and technical excellence across varied research environments and scientific topics; and for leadership in cultivating an inclusive environment.” 

“I extend my congratulations to Alexis on her outstanding achievement, commitment, and leadership in the engineering community,” said Acting STPI Director Mark Taylor, Ph.D. “I look forward to her ongoing contributions here at STPI and impact in the community she serves.” 

McKittrick was recognized at WE19, the world’s largest conference and career fair for women engineers, November 7-9, 2019 in Anaheim, California. The conference gathered more than 16,000 professional and collegiate men and women in engineering and technology for professional development, education, and networking. She accepted the award at the WE Awards banquet on November 8, 2019. 

“The men and women recognized have lived and learned through significant contributions to the engineering community, and they continue to lead in their careers and personal lives,” said Cindy Hoover, president of SWE. “They are leaders paving the way to empower and inspire future women engineers across the globe.” 

McKittrick (Hillock) earned her bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 2001 and her doctor of philosophy degree in chemical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2005. She currently serves as the Speaker of the Senate on the SWE Board of Directors. 

About the Institute for Defense Analyses 

IDA is a nonprofit corporation that operates three Federally Funded Research and Development Centers in the public interest. IDA answers the most challenging U.S. security and science policy questions with objective analysis leveraging extraordinary scientific, technical, and analytic expertise.