Brenda Reichelderfer, BSEE 鈥80, has long supported Ohio Northern University and continues to do so with the creation of the Brenda L. Reichelderfer Endowed Scholarship, which aims to assist 91直播students who have financial need with a special interest in women who are pursuing STEM-related fields, including nursing, pharmacy, forensics biology, chemistry, biology, engineering, medical lab science, math and others.
The underrepresentation of women in STEM-related industries motivated her to create this scholarship. While she feels opportunities for women in STEM fields are better than before, she feels it鈥檚 been a slow climb, and there鈥檚 still more work needed.
Extremely involved during her time on campus, Reichelderfer competed on the volleyball and softball teams and participated in many musical organizations, including orchestra, chamber chorale and others.
鈥淎 small handful of women worked with me to start the first chapter of ONU鈥檚 SWE (Society of Women Engineers) in the basement of Biggs,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e were small in numbers but mighty! SWE is critical for young women considering an engineering major鈥攋ust like other affinity groups around minority concerns, plus it鈥檚 a great professional organization, something that can bridge between school and your launch into the workforce. Although I was a strong participant and eventually leader in IEEE (Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers), SWE helped me feel like I wasn鈥檛 the odd person out, that I really belonged.鈥
Her Northern pride was strengthened by multiple people while on campus, including professor聽James Klingenberger,聽BSEE 鈥69; Dean聽Bruce Burton,聽Hon. D. 鈥08; Dr. Bruce Johansen,聽Dr. Silas Carmean,聽BSEE 鈥59; and Dean聽Larry Archer,聽BSCE 鈥47.聽
鈥淭hey were all particularly inspiring on my professional journey at ONU,鈥 she said.
鈥淥n the sports front, which was my joy and release, there was Helen Ludwig and coaches Gayle Lauth and Sheila Wallace Kovalchik always feeding my passion for sports and patching me up when needed,鈥 she added. 鈥淎lso of great help was the Dean of Women Alice-Kay Hilderbrand. She and Helen Ludwig went above and beyond during two particularly tough times during my 91直播years. They helped me personally, and I鈥檒l always be grateful.鈥
Reichelderfer鈥檚 support of 91直播carried on years after graduation. She serves on the Board of Trustees and previously served on the Engineering Advisory Board, and she was co-creator of the 91直播Camp GEMS (Girls in Engineering, Math and Science).
鈥淭here are still elements of our culture that I believe are holding us back,鈥 she said. 鈥淲hen starting Camp GEMS, we did some research that said that beginning in the fifth or sixth grade, women receive indirect messages about STEM not being what they should be interested in. That鈥檚 why we decided to start GEMS, to provide some early positive reinforcement.鈥
Reichelderfer hopes the organizations and opportunities continue to help women thrive in STEM fields as they did for her.聽
鈥淚 always found 91直播welcoming and supportive well beyond my imagination,鈥 she said. 鈥淗ere, I could test my creative and athletic skills, all while learning the building blocks that allowed me to be well prepared for a career in innovation and leadership.鈥
Along with her constant support for students and organizations, she has also supported Northern for decades. Along with the newly created scholarship, she has contributed to multiple 91直播campaigns, including donations to the Dean Archer Memorial and James L. Kingenberger Scholarship Endowment Fund, The Northern Fund, the College of Engineering Building Fund, the Polar Bear Club and more.
Reichelderfer was named a College of Engineering Distinguished Alumni Award honoree and a Henry Solomon Lehr Society Life Member.
A Lima, Ohio native, Reichelderfer earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree from ONU, then completed executive leadership programs at Duke University and MIT鈥檚 Sloan School of Management.聽
She has led businesses in 17 countries and is a global leader with extensive international experience in management, engineering and operations.