Candiece White Wins Awards from SWE and NSBE
Candiece White, assistant dean of undergraduate education/student services has recently received two prestigious honors from leading engineering societies. She is a 2020 National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Golden Torch honoree receiving the Minority Engineering Program Director of the Year Award, as well as the recipient of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) 2021 Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award.
“I’m extremely thankful to the students for taking the time to nominate me for these awards,” says White. “For those who know me, I have a genuine passion for helping and supporting all the amazing students in both organizations. I am beyond grateful and humbled that I get the opportunity to work with students in this capacity – and can make a positive impact on their experiences at Rutgers School of Engineering. I support our students wholeheartedly – and look for nothing in return.”
Every year, SWE selects a single outstanding faculty advisor from across all its chapters who has made an outstanding contribution to a SWE collegiate section as an advisor. She was recognized at WE21, the world’s premier conference and career fair for women engineers and technologists, held in Indianapolis, Indiana, from October 21-23.
Chosen from professionals the world over, the award honors White for her contributions to the STEM community and to the advancement of women in engineering. In particular, SWE’s award citation praises White for “being a committed mentor and advisor; for inspiring students in underrepresented groups to accomplish their academic and professional goals; and for being a crucial stakeholder in SWE’s success.”
As Rutgers’ SWE advisor since 2009, White has seen membership grow to more than 350 women and earn awards at the regional and national levels in recent years.
Similar to SWE, each year NSBE selects one recipient for the Minority Engineering Program Director of the Year. White was named a Golden Torch honoree at the NSBE annual national conference, which was held virtually in August 2021 due to the pandemic. Golden Torch Awards are given to outstanding leaders who embody NSBE’s ideals of academic excellence, professional success, and commitment to the progress of the Black community.
White earned her Rutgers School of Engineering BS in industrial and systems engineering and her MBA from Rutgers Business School. As a student, she served as treasurer on the Rutgers SWE chapter’s executive board, and was very active & served as a senator for the Minority Engineering Educational Task (MEET) – the Rutgers University chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers. She was also a vice president of Phi Sigma Rho (PSR) – the national social sorority for women in engineering.
According to White, being a part of MEET, SWE, and PSR enriched her time as a student -- experiences that undoubtedly guides her outstanding and empathic advising and mentoring of today’s SoE students.
“While Candiece is never one to seek out the limelight, these recognitions of her dedication and hard work are so well-deserved,” says School of Engineering associate dean Ilene Rosen. “How lucky are we? We are all so fortunate to work with someone of Candiece’s caliber.”
Learn more: https://magazine.swe.org/candiece-white/
