By Ava Schwab | Reporter

A Baylor engineering professor’s Rising Star Award not only spotlights her accomplishments but also impacts many more at Baylor, reflecting a larger story taking shape: one where women are as valuable in engineering as any equation.

The Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network Rising Star Award honors faculty annually in their early career who model going “above and beyond” to equip undergraduate engineers with an entrepreneurial mindset. The award emphasizes teaching with creativity, impact and curiosity. Assistant professor of mechanical engineering Dr. Mary Lauren Benton was a recipient of the award.

“Engineering with an entrepreneurial mindset helps students see beyond a single assignment to the people and problems they can impact,” Benton said in an interview with Engineering Unleashed.

Benton is known for her entrepreneurial mindset. Her approach has drawn attention from award-givers for combining rigor and focus, as well as involvement with students.

“One of my goals, either through helping student organizations or through my classes, is to help connect people to what they care about, what they’re passionate about and show them how these courses can help them accomplish those goals,” Benton said.

Houston junior Cate Calderon, a mechanical engineering major, said she feels like there is unneeded competition for women in the program. For her, Benton’s recognition feels like a collective win.

“I want a woman in the room, even if it’s not me,” Calderon said. “It’s really inspiring to see women in these fields being recognized and celebrated for their work.”

Baylor’s School of Engineering and Computer Science currently reports twice the national average of women in its program. Still, the number of women enrolled is roughly 25% of the total.

“It’s still a stark difference, but it’s growing every year,” Calderon said.

This very same progress extends beyond the classroom, she said. Calderon serves in Pi Tau Sigma, the Mechanical Engineering Honor Society, and said she was struck by the gender balance at the most recent induction.

“There were more women than men,” she said. “That was really powerful. It proved that when we show up, people notice.”

Benton also observed the increase in women getting involved in science. Engineering and computer sciences in particular are seeing increased involvement and interest by women.

“We tend to be underrepresented,” Benton said. “It’s nice to see, even since I’ve been here, more women showing up in our classes and getting involved in extracurriculars.”

As Baylor’s engineering programs expand, Benton’s award is more than an individual recognition — it signals a shift in how innovation and involvement work hand in hand, she said.

“I’d love to see more spaces and recognition for the women on campus who are doing really cool work and paving the way for others,” Benton said. “The more you see people like you doing the things you want to do, the easier it is to see yourself following in their footsteps.”

Calderon said that visibility is what matters most.

“The more women we see in leadership, the easier it is to picture ourselves there too,” Benton said. “That’s what this kind of recognition does — it makes space.”