Aleisha McCabe Selected for 2008 Dean’s Award

Each year the Dean’s Office selects one graduating senior from each of the three divisions (architecture, technology, and engineering) to receive the Dean’s Award as the outstanding senior for that division.  Criteria include a balance of academic performance, leadership, and citizenship.  This year they selected ChE’s Aleisha McCabe as the outstanding engineering graduate. 

The photo shows Aleisha with her parents, Tom and Andrea, and brother, Will.  The gift package contains a gold watch, with “OSU” embossed on the face.

Aleisha is from Paul’s Valley, OK, and has accepted employment with Zeeco in Tulsa, OK, where she will apply her chemical engineering skills to flares, burners, and combustion.

Her mom works for the public school system, her dad is a medical technician, and her brother is a freshman in mechanical engineering at OSU.

“Aleisha was in my honors section of the freshman computer programming course, and I was impressed with her dedication to excellence as well as her joy in working that elevated the tempo for the entire class.,” says Russ Rhinehart.   “And, her energy, dedication, and energizing gift to others is revealed in her many activities, honors, and accomplishments.”

Aleisha held many high offices at OSU.  Her peers elected her as President of the OSU chapter of Mortar Board, a national organization whose mission includes contributing to the self-awareness, promoting equal opportunity, supporting university ideals, advancing scholarship, encouraging leadership, and providing service.   Those are Aleisha’s values.

In addition, she was president of the AIChE Student Chapter at OSU, contributing throughout her stay at OSU to events such as hosting the 2006 regional conference, and to the chapter winning nine consecutive “Outstanding” (top 10% in the nation) recognitions.  She was Secretary for the OSU Mu chapter of the ChE honorary Omega Chi Epsilon, President’s Chief of Staff for the OSU Student Government Association, Chair of the Homecoming Steering Bands Committee, and Vice President of her Professional Women’s Fraternity (one of the major Sororities on campus).  Election to such high offices is the result of earning trust, respect, and a followership while performing at many lower level positions in the organizations.