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Back when she was a young woman in the Air Force, women could not be pilots or navigators, so Donna is pleased to re- turn to that goal these many years later.
Fall 2016 Honoree Mardi Hastings
Mardi Hastings is the first woman to re- ceive a PhD in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, which she did in 1987 with a specialty in acoustics. Her research interests are fo- cused on the generation, propagation, and biological effects of anthropogenic
sound in the marine environment. Mardi retired as a profes- sor from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2014 and is now a part-time consultant in acoustics. During her career, Mardi worked in academia, the federal government, and industry positions as she endeavored to balance her career with her family and raising her daughter. She has advised 35 graduate students, published over 70 technical articles, and coauthored the book Principles of Marine Bioacoustics (Springer-Verlag, 2008).
In addition to her professional activities, Mardi has devoted a significant amount of time to serving the acoustics com- munity. An ASA Fellow since 1996, Mardi served as an as- sociate aditor for JASA (2006-2015), on the ASA Technical Council (2000-2003) as chair of the Animal Bioacoustics TC, on the ASA Executive Council (2003-2006), and as pres- ident (2011-2012). Mardi is former member of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Noise Control Engineering and past chair of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Noise Control and Acoustics Division. She served on the National Research Council Study Panel on the Po- tential Impacts of Ambient Noise on Marine Mammals, the Barotrauma Blue Ribbon Panel for the State of California, and most recently on the National Academy of Sciences Standing Committee on Offshore Science and Assessment.
Mardi’s honors include a NSF Presidential Young Investiga- tor Award, a Federal Highway Administration Environmental Excellence Award for her work on the effects of pile-driving sound in San Francisco Bay (corecipient), and the Per Brüel Gold Medal for Noise Control and Acoustics from the ASME.
Conclusion
The stories of these amazing women are an inspiration for us all, and we are grateful for their research, mentorship, and service to the Society. We plan to continue the WIA Named
Luncheon Program at future ASA meetings, and we wel- come suggestions for other commendable women in acous- tics whom we could consider for the honor. To nominate an honoree, please attend an open WIA Committee meeting, which occurs during each national ASA meeting.
Acknowledgments
Many thanks to the honorees for providing biographical in- formation and reviewing this article. Thanks also to Fred- ricka Bell-Berti, Kathleen Wage, Peggy Nelson, Judy Dubno, Sarah Ferguson, and Marcia Isakson for providing informa- tion about the honorees.
Biosketches
Lauren M. Ronsse is the chair of the Acoustical Society of America Women in Acoustics Committee. She obtained her PhD in engineering with a focus on acoustics from the University of Nebras- ka-Lincoln. She worked as an assistant professor of acoustics at Columbia Col-
lege Chicago and as a postdoctoral research associate at the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center Con- struction Engineering Research Laboratory. She is currently taking a pause in her professional career to focus on caring for her energetic little boy.
Tracianne B. Neilsen, currently a part- time professor at Brigham Young Uni- versity, earned her doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin. She began her career in underwater acoustics and, after taking a break when she had three young children, now continues research
in modeling noise from high-performance jets and rockets. She loves helping students engage in the learning process, teaching or mentoring them on research projects. She also enjoys acoustics outreach, organizing the Listen Up! And Get Involved! Workshop held at the meetings of the Acous- tical Society of America for local Girl Scout troops (available on Twitter: @tbnbyu).
References
Scharf, B., and Zwislocki, J. (2010). Passings: Rhona Hellman, 1935-2009. Acoustics Today 6(1), 39.
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