Over 150 of Georgia Tech’s most impactful women were immortalized at the opening of the new Pathway to Progress at the heart of campus on March 8, 2025.

Among the sea of mirror tiles that make up the installation are the stories of alumnae, students, faculty, and staff from the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE).

Trailblazers like Shirley Clements Mewborn (EE ’56), one Georgia Tech’s first female graduates and industry leaders like Leslie Sibert (EE ’85) were two of the nine ECE graduates included in the inaugural class.

Denise Ellis Carson (EE ’83), Evangeline Brown Colbert (EE ’79), Cathleen Thomas Quigley (EE ’84), Evelynn M. Hammonds (EE ’76), Mary Lynn Smith (EE ’88), Rosalind Wright Picard (EE ’84), and Sybrina Y. Atwaters (EE ’94) joined them.

Maryly and Ella Wall Van Leer, whose name is on the building that houses ECE, were also honored.

Click the links below to learn more about the honorees:

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Sybrina Atwater

Sybrina Y. Atwaters

EE 1994, M.S. HSTS 2009, Ph.D. HSTS 2014

Interdisciplinary Sociologist and Engineer
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Denise Ellis Carson

Denise Ellis Carson

EE 1983

Vice President in Georgia Tech’s First All-Female SGA Cabinet
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Evangeline Brown Colbert

Evangeline Brown Colbert

EE 1979

Co-founder of the Ebony Guild
 
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Evelynn M. Hammonds

Evelynn M. Hammonds

EE 1976

Havard Professor of the History of Science and African and African American Studies
 
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Shirley Clements Mewborn

Shirley Clements Mewborn

EE 1956

One of Georgia Tech’s First Woman Graduates
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Rosalind Wright Picard

Rosalind Wright Picard

EE 1984

MIT Professor, scientist, engineer, inventor, entrepreneur, and author
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Cathleen Thomas Quigley

Cathleen Thomas Quigley

EE 1984

Named Inventor on over 100 Patents
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Leslie R. Sibert

Leslie R. Sibert

EE 1985

Retired Senior Executive with Georgia Power/Southern Company
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Mary Lynn Smith

Mary Lynn Smith

EE 1988

Antenna Engineer

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