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Mary Ellen Bock wins Violet Haas Award

Mary Ellen Bock, professor and head of statistics, is the 2006 winner of the Violet Haas Award from the Purdue Council on the Status of Women. Mary Ellen is pictured with CSW Convenor Zenephia Evans (on right)

The award honors an individual, program or department that has made an outstanding effort toward the advancement of women at the university. The achievement can include improvement in hiring and promotion practices, educational opportunities, salaries or generally enhancing a positive professional climate for women.

Mary Ellen was honored in particular for her key role in developing NSF-sponsored workshops that help young female faculty succeed in academia, and for her leadership in bringing more women to the Statistics faculty here at Purdue. Under Mary Ellen’s leadership, the department has gone from 13% women in 1997 to 33% today.

The Council on the Status of Women established the Violet Haas Award in 1990. Haas was a faculty member in the School of Electrical Engineering from 1962 until her death in 1986. She promoted women’s issues and provided a positive role model for the university’s faculty, staff and students.

Mary Ellen was recognized at a reception in her honor on April 14.

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