SAE International Honors Myra Blanco as 2021 Contributor of the Year
SAE International awarded Myra Blanco, Ph.D. with its third annual Contributor of the Year Award. Dr. Blanco, Director of Advancement, Partnerships & Outreach at Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), was recognized for her ongoing commitment to advancing the future of the mobility industry through her involvement with SAE activities. SAE presented the award to Dr. Blanco during a recognition ceremony for the entire 2021 Contributor of the Year class on November 5 as part of a Contributor of the Year celebration in Tucson, Arizona.
"This year's class of contributors is a testament to the tremendous work our members do, and we are honored to recognize the contributions they have made to not only SAE, but the mobility industry as a whole," said Chris Ciuca, Vice President of Programs at SAE International. "Dr. Blanco is a perfect example of that, and we are proud to present her with this award."
Dr. Blanco has been an active member of SAE since her undergraduate days at University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, where she joined the student chapter of SAE and worked with a group of other members to build a solar car. Since then, she has developed a passion for diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and has become an advocate for women in STEM, working to develop opportunities and advance initiatives that focus on these principles through her SAE engagement, VTTI and her work with Daimler.
In 2020, her nomination for the InterRegs Awards was selected as winner, and her support of the Breed and Baranescu Awards has helped to generate awareness while her leadership in submitting nominations for colleagues and peers aids in encouraging others to nominate.
"I was definitely not expecting it. When you see all the people that were part of the class of 2021, all their accomplishments and all the things they have done to contribute to what SAE is now, I feel very grateful for my place in that class. I'm very honored," Dr. Blanco said.
Dr. Blanco is one of more than 60,000 SAE volunteers dedicating her time, knowledge, and passion for the betterment of the mobility community through support of SAE activities. Congratulations to the entire 2021 Contributor of Year Class: David Andrea, Mark Boeckmann, Rhonda Brender, Allison Collins, Tim Fornes, Richard Fox, Ritesh Ghimire, Roy Goudy, Robert Ireland, Frederick Kelley, Roy Link, Matthew Meyer, Mike O'Neil, Mark Pope, Seong Rhee, Gregory Saunders, Steve Sayovitz, John Steiner, Kevin Walsh, Barbara Wendling, Steve Woodard, Skitter Yaeger, Mark Zachos, and Chad Zagorski.
All members of the 2021 Contributor of the Year Class were nominated by SAE International staff based on their wide-ranging volunteer and engagement contributions across the organization.
