Shining Star Awards
2010 Shining Star
Recipient: Ellen Kloppenborg
Description: The Board of Directors of the Chicago Section of AIChE have awarded Ellen Kloppenborg
of UOP its Shining Star Award. This award is provided for exceptional service to the Section above and
beyond the call of duty. It has only been given out about five times in the 100 year history of the
Section. Last year, Ellen took over and expanded AIChE's student outreach efforts. She manage all the
requests for chemical engineers and found volunteers to fill them. She participated in many of them
herself. Ellen broadly publicized these activities in the AIChE newsletter and within UOP to build
enthusiasm for the program. She also revamped the Student Outreach webpage to provide current information
for volunteers and students looking for resource materials. Congratulations and thanks to Ellen. She
is leaving town on long term assignment and we will miss her.
2009 Shining Star
Recipient: Dima Alfawakhiri
Description: The Chicago Section of the American Institute of Chemical
Engineers is pleased to present to Ms. Dima Alfawakhiri a special
recognition award for her service to the Chicago Section of AIChE and the
community. Dima has maintained a 3.91 GPA in her four years at UIC. She has
been involved in the planning and implementation of the last three Chicago
Section Symposia. In addition to these activities she has been an officer in the Society of
Women Engineers and American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning
Engineers. She has also been a teaching assistant for Engineering 100 classes, a UIC Math Learning
Center Tutor, and a science fair judge. Among the numerous awards made to Dima is the
University of Illinois Alumni Association Student Leadership Award. She has been awarded
numerous scholarships from AIChE, Society of Women Engineers, and other organizations and several
travel grants to attend meetings or summer school. We wish her the best in future endeavors.