Engineering professor honored with prestigious CSU Wang Family Excellence Award

One of Dr. Kimberly Stillmaker’s greatest inspirations is her father, a Vietnam veteran who, despite facing financial challenges and limited parental support, earned his degree from Fresno State with encouragement from an English professor who wouldn’t let him give up. His determination inspired her to pursue an education in engineering, ultimately leading her to become a professor herself.

“Through my father’s story, I saw how impactful a teacher’s actions can be, and how transformational a college degree can be for the trajectory of a family, and it really inspires me to be able to hopefully have that kind of impact on other people’s families and the story that they’re going to tell,” Stillmaker said.

Stillmaker, associate professor of civil engineering at Fresno State, was named one of the five recipients of this year’s California State University Wang Family Excellence Award.

The Wang Family Excellence Award recognizes four faculty members and one staff member from among the 23 California State University campuses for their outstanding commitment to student achievement and contributions in their respective fields. Each recipient receives a $20,000 award.

Honorees were recognized on Jan. 28, at a regularly scheduled meeting of the CSU Board of Trustees.

Stillmaker’s award is for Outstanding Faculty Innovator in Student Success. She is the director of the Lyles College of Engineering’s Foundation for Success Program. The program is focused

on improving outcomes for all first-year and sophomore students pursuing engineering degrees.

Over 70% of Lyles College students are from groups historically underrepresented in engineering professions. Stillmaker strives to equip students with the resources they need to succeed as college students and future engineers while promoting the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in the engineering field and beyond.

To date, more than 1,000 students have benefited from this program, leading to a significant rise in the first-year engineering retention rate.

“The concept for the Foundations for Success program was developed in 2019 when we received a generous gift from Chevron, and since then, Dr. Stillmaker’s passion for student success and leadership in the Foundations for Success program has enhanced the achievements of freshmen and sophomores,” said Dr. Ram Nunna, dean of the Lyles College of Engineering. “Dr. Stillmaker, along with administrators, faculty and staff, has contributed to developing and implementing a variety of strategies to improve student success in the college.”

Stillmaker also developed and implemented a new Engineering 1 introductory course that introduces students to the various engineering disciplines, the engineering design process and effective teamwork.

Along with her teaching and directorial responsibilities, Stillmaker coordinates the Central California Engineering Design Competition, engaging first-year engineering students from Fresno State and students from Central California community colleges in a joint competition and culminating group project.

She also serves as a co-principal investigator on an NSF-funded ADVANCE grant that focuses on establishing a systemwide networking and mentoring program within the CSU that fosters diversity and equity among engineering faculty. In 2022, she received Fresno State’s Provost Award for Promising New Faculty.

“When I see that a student is doing more than they thought they could, or having success when they doubted that it was possible, or I see that things are finally clicking into place, it’s extremely gratifying,” Stillmaker said. “I’m looking forward to continuing this work.”

The other recipients of this year’s Wang Family Excellence Award are:

• Dr. Gisela Bichler, California State University, San Bernardino, Department of Criminal Justice, Outstanding Faculty Scholarship.
• Dr. Rashida M. Crutchfield, California State University Long Beach, School of Social Work, Outstanding Faculty Service.
• Dr. Nanda Ganesan, California State University, Los Angeles, Department of Information Systems, Outstanding Faculty Teaching.
• Dr. Freddie Sánchez, California State University, Northridge, Student Affairs, Equity and Inclusion, Outstanding Staff Performance.