The National Science Board (NSB) honored Betty Lise Anderson ‘78, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Ohio State University with its 2022 Public Service Award. The award honors exemplary service in promoting public understanding of science and engineering.

“Dr. Anderson exemplifies what this award is all about” said Maureen Condic, Chair of NSB’s Subcommittee on Honorary Awards. “Not only is she helping shape the next great minds of our STEM enterprise at the university level, she also enlists those minds to help cultivate and motivate young minds at a fundamental level. Her work exemplifies the priorities put forward in NSB’s Vision 2030 to expand STEM opportunities to all Americans.  She’s invaluable.”

Dr. Anderson has led a program – free to participants – that has reached 35,000 students at over 100 different schools, libraries, after-school programs, and scout troops. The program  delivers hands-on engineering activities to K-12 students throughout central Ohio and beyond.  Graduate and undergraduate students, as well as over 600 volunteers operate the program, which hosts an average three events each week. Many volunteers are still students, while others are alumni who want to stay involved or who want to bring the program into their own communities.

She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering at Syracuse University and a Master of Science from the University of Vermont where she also obtained her Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Science and Electrical Engineering. Her technical area is photonics, or the physical science of light waves.

Dr. Anderson’s achievements include: Fellow of the Society for Photo-Instrumentation Engineers, senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the Optical Society of America. She is also co-author of “Fundamentals of Semiconductor Devices.”