AMES, Iowa – Iowa State University College of Engineering teaching professor Beth Lin Hartmann has been named the Ryerkerk-Griffith WiSE Faculty Fellow.

“We are incredibly grateful to Iowa State University Alumna Lori J. Ryerkerk and her husband, the Honorable Carl Griffith, whose generous gift made this faculty fellowship possible” said Kris Kilibarda, director of Iowa State’s Program for Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE).

Ryerkerk received her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Iowa State University in 1983. She is now the chairman, chief executive officer and president of Celanese Corporation, a Fortune 500 global chemical and specialty materials company based in Dallas, Texas.

“I wanted to do something for Iowa State … where I got my start … and for women in engineering, to help them actually stay in engineering,” Ryerkerk said.

Hartmann received her bachelor’s degree in architecture with a minor in naval science from Iowa State University in 1989. She also received a master’s degree in 1996 and a doctorate in 2016 in civil engineering with a specialization in construction engineering and management from Iowa State.

She leads the WiSE 201x class and oversees the course curriculum for WiSE. As the instructor for WiSE 201x, Hartmann helps first- and second-year female-identifying STEM students advance their identities as female leaders in STEM and develop skills and attitudes needed for responsible citizenship and complex problem-solving.

Founded in 1986, WiSE enhances STEM experiences for women by advocating for diversity and inclusion through opportunities, resources and support. For more information about the program, please visit www.wise.iastate.edu/.

Ryerkerk and Griffith made their gift through the Iowa State University Foundation, which is a private, nonprofit organization committed to securing and managing gifts that benefit Iowa State University. For more information about the foundation, please visit www.foundation.iastate.edu.

(Left to Right: Dr. Beth Lin Hartmann, Lori J. Ryerkerk, Dr. Kris Kilibarda)