Attorney Caroline Earle and academician Sarah Gallant received top honors at the sixth annual Vermont Athena Leadership Awards gala Nov. 2 at Norwich University.
Earle, founder of the Montpelier law firm Earle & Freeman, was presented with the Athena Leadership Award, and Gallant, assistant professor of chemistry at Norwich University, received the Athena Young Professional Leadership Award.
Presented by the Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce, the Athena awards recognize individuals who strive towards the highest levels of personal and professional accomplishment; excel in their chosen field; devote time and energy to their community in a meaningful way and forge paths of leadership for women to follow.
Other finalists for the Leadership Award were Elaine Haney, executive director of Emerge Vermont, and Tara Kulkarn, associate provost for research and chief research officer at Norwich University.
Other finalists for the Young Professional Leadership Award were Jennifer Delaney, co-executive director of the Central Vermont Humane Society, and Amy Tatro, co-founder of Jenna's Promise.
Karen Gaines, provost and dean of the faculty at Norwich University, said she was proud to see two of her school's faculty represented at the ceremony.
“Drs. Gallant and Kulkarni are exceptional women in STEM who exemplify the Norwich University ‘service before self’ mantra through their mentorship of our students and excellence in scholarship, which they have actively applied to make meaningful contributions to the state of Vermont and our nation,” Gaines said.