Keene, Barbara Horner Endowed Scholarship in Engineering
The Barbara Horner Keene Endowed Scholarship in Engineering was established in December 2004. Mrs. Keene holds a B.S. from Purdue University and an M.S. from The University of Akron. Her work at Purdue was in chemical engineering and comprehensive science. While at The University of Akron, she earned teaching certificates for K-12, special reading, English, chemistry, math, and physics, as well as certificates for curriculum supervision, principal, and superintendent of schools.
Mrs. Keene, then Barbara Lyddon, began her freshman year in Purdue University’s Chemical Engineering Program in 1943 as a shy 17-year-old high school graduate. She was surprised and frightened when she found she was the only girl among 200 boys taking Engineering Chemistry 101 that semester. However, even in those early years of women in engineering, Mrs. Keene was always proud of her academic background. She enjoyed the engineering curriculum with its scientific approach to detailed planning, problem solving, creative thinking, and management skills. This training created a strong foundation for her varied and successful career.
The Barbara Horner Keene Endowed Scholarship in Engineering will be awarded annually to a female undergraduate or graduate student in the College of Engineering with high academic ranking who plans a career in any field of engineering. The recipient will be chosen by the dean’s office.