Campus Ministry

The Center of Social Concern in Campus Ministry presented the Miryam Award to Isabella Saylor, ‘24 at a ceremony on March 21, 2024. Isabella, a senior computer engineering student from Hamilton, OH, was nominated by Dr Amy Niedhard-Doll.

The Miryam Award honors those who have made significant contributions in advancing the climate for women here at UD. Through her time here as a student, Isabella has led the charge in supporting and mentoring women in her field of electrical and computer engineering and has embraced and lived out the Marianist charism of the university.

She arrived at UD as a Discover Engineering major and through her own mentor in the WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) program, she found her niche in computer engineering.Though passionate about the course of study, soon, Isabella found that the climate for female students in electrical and computer engineering was not as supportive as she would have hoped and she took action. 

Isabella established a UD Women in Engineering Student Chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). This chapter has been instrumental in supporting the female students in a major that is only 8-10% female. The mission of IEEE WIE is to inspire, engage, encourage, and empower women (https://www.ieee.org/membership/women/). Through this work, the chapter continues to work to address issues faced by women in ECE, including isolation, being overlooked, and not being represented in leadership positions.

Dr. Doll points to how Isabella has explicitly used her leadership skills to bring about change and lift up those who may feel lost in the shadows,  “When you look at Bella's resume, you will quickly notice that she has made significant contributions in diversity efforts designed to increase representation and support for females in a significantly male-dominated field of engineering.”

In addition to creating the IEEE WIE chapter at UD, Isabella has engaged in leadership in other areas, including Kappa Delta, Agape Latte, as a WISE mentor, and a member of the Honors Student Welcome Leadership Team. 

According to Dr Doll, and agreed with by the award selection committee, “Bella truly embodies the spirit of the 2024 Miryam Award!  She is both an inspiration; and an important role model for the future through facilitation of new opportunities that reduce the significant gender gap for women in STEM, especially within the fields of electrical and computer engineering.  She SHOWS UP FULLY for every task, challenge, and person with both grace and enthusiasm.”