Madeline Dubelier '20 Makes Huge Impact on the Sibley School and the Greater Cornell Community

Madeline Dubelier graduated Magna Cum Laude from Cornell University with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Education. She was recognized as a Merrill Presidential Scholar, an honor awarded to only 32 seniors, all of which are in the top 1% of their class.

Merrill Presidential Scholars are selected by their college deans for their academic achievements, leadership, and potential to contribute to society. As part of the program, the scholars share the honor with a high school teacher and Cornell faculty member who has inspired them and contributed to their academic development.

Dubelier was also awarded the Walter Werring Excellence Studies Prize from the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.  This award recognizes talented and dedicated Sibley School B.S. or M.E. graduating students, who have enhanced the Cornell Community by excelling in a manner befitting the reputation of the Sibley School.

In her senior year, Dubelier was the Co-President of the Cornell chapter of the Society of Women Engineers, a student organization that hosts events with employers and faculty and engages with the local Ithaca community through the Tompkins County Public Library, Ithaca Sciencecenter, Habitat for Humanity, Into the Streets, and the Girl Scouts.

“My favorite part of leading and being a member of SWE is the community of fellow women engineers it provided me with,” says Dubelier. “Everyone on the executive board shared the passion for creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for women in the College of Engineering and inspiring the next generation of engineers.”

This past spring, Dubelier and two other members of Cornell SWE saw a noticeable lack of representation from female leaders in STEM on the Forbes’ 2019 America’s Most Innovative Leaders list. They decided to change the narrative and published a book titled “Wall of Wonder: Cornell Women Leading the Way in Science, Technology, and Engineering” that highlights 27 inspiring Cornell STEM alumnae.

Dubelier and her counterparts did not focus on listing accolades and awards, or information that readers could find online in company biographies. Instead, they focused on the motivations, engagement, outreach, and advice to younger selves of the women they profiled, as stated in a Cornell Daily Sun article written about the book. All proceeds will go to K-12 outreach programs organized by the Cornell SWE chapter.

One of the most impactful experiences for Dubelier in the Sibley School was becoming a TA for MAE 2250: Mechanical Synthesis during her junior and senior years. She greatly enjoyed the course as a sophomore and was thrilled to be given the opportunity to expand her skills as an educator.

“It’s one thing to know how to machine, do CAD, and go through the engineering design process yourself, but having to teach this material to others requires an even deeper understanding,” says Dubelier. “Gaining this deeper understanding through teaching has increased my skill level and proficiency in manufacturing and design techniques in a way that simple practice could never match.”

Dubelier will be joining Boston Scientific as a full-time Process Development Engineer this summer.