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Notable Women in STEM

BizTimes Milwaukee is proud to present its inaugural showcase of Notable Women in STEM, spotlighting accomplished professionals and leaders in southeastern Wisconsin. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The individuals profiled on the following pages were nominated by their peers at work and in the community and showcase the diversity of talent in our market.

METHODOLOGY: The honorees did not pay to be included. Their profiles were drawn from nomination materials. This list features only individuals for whom nominations were submitted and accepted after a review by our editorial team. To qualify for the list, nominees must be based in southeast Wisconsin. They must be currently serving in a senior level role at their firm, must hold a leadership position in their industry outside of their own organization, have made a significant contribution to advancing workplace equality at their own workplace or beyond, and act as a role model or mentor.

Notable Women in STEM: Jennifer Zaspel

As vice president and academic dean of the Milwaukee Public Museum, Jennifer Zaspel, Ph.D., oversees collections and research, education and public programs and exhibits....

Notable Women in STEM: Olga Imas

Olga Imas, Ph.D., is a professor of biomedical engineering in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department at Milwaukee School of Engineering. She led...

Notable Women in STEM: DeAnna Leitzke

DeAnna Leitzke, Ph.D., is a licensed professional engineer with 25 years of experience in the field and classroom. Her work at Milwaukee School of...

Notable Women in STEM: Joanna Joy Thekkumpuram

Joanna Joy Thekkumpuram began her career in 2018 as a manufacturing engineer at Wacker Neuson in Menomonee Falls. “Over the past five years, Joanna has...

Notable Women in STEM: Adonica Randall

As president and chief problem solver of Pewaukee-based Abaxent LLC, Adonica Randall leads the only technology solutions company in Wisconsin that is certified minority...

Notable Women in STEM: Angela Frey

Angela Frey has served as a professor of biology at Alverno College in Milwaukee since 1999. She previously held the title of STEM chair,...

Notable Women in STEM: Ashley Miller

Ashley Miller is a senior industrial engineer at Prolec-GE Waukesha Inc. Prolec-GE is a joint venture between the Xignux Mexican consortium and General Electric....

Notable Women in STEM: Dawn Wankowski

Dawn Wankowski, assistant professor at Cardinal Stritch University in Fox Point has served as a faculty member since 2002. Her academic areas of expertise...

Notable Women in STEM: Roberta Brehm

Since Roberta Brehm purchased Waukesha-based HVAC manufacturer representative firm Vyron in 2018, its revenue has grown more than 70% and its employee count has...

Notable Women in STEM: Dr. Karin Hoffmeister

Karin Hoffmeister is working to bring glycoscience into mainstream research and clinical practice. The field focuses on uncovering the structure and function of sugar molecules...

Notable Women in STEM: Carrie Bristoll-Groll

Milwaukee’s water technology reputation is due in large part to leaders in government and business, and one of these leaders is Carrie Bristoll-Groll, chief...

Notable Women in STEM: Angie Kochanski

The solar industry in Wisconsin now employs more than 3,000 people, but, according to J.D. Smith, head of business development for Plymouth-based Arch Solar,...

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Know The Difference: Roger & Carol Weber’s Testimonial

The solar industry in Wisconsin now employs more than 3,000 people, but, according to J.D. Smith, head of business development for Plymouth-based Arch Solar, the industry went through some lean years. Smith credits solar veterans, including Angie Kochanski, director of Arch Solar, for laying the foundation of the industry’s current success.

Kochanski worked for three other solar companies before starting Arch in 2017.

“Angie was Milwaukee’s all-in-one solar consultant, designer, site assessor, program coordinator, marketer, project manager, and most importantly, educator,” Smith said. “Sticking with it through those years of difficulty paid off in 2019 when the Wisconsin solar industry began to take off in earnest.”

This growth meant that Kochanski had to switch from doing everything herself to growing a team that hired an average of more than 12 people a year.

In the next three years, she trained nine new solar professionals, moved offices three times in 12 months, and still found time to bartend Wednesday nights at the bar in the Burnham Park neighborhood in Milwaukee that she co-owns with her husband.

Notable Women in STEM

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