Aurora White, who earned her BS in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 2016, was chosen as the American Indian Science and Engineering Society's Most Promising Engineer of 2023.
She received the award last October at the 2023 AISES National Conference in Spokane, Washington.
White is currently a torque security calibration engineer for Stellantis, and is an active member of the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. She earned her master's in mechanical engineering from Oakland University in 2020. In the award description, the AISES award committee noted her love of hands-on work, "whether it's being in a vehicle as a calibration engineer or building furniture at her mom's house."
"I am deeply humbled by this honor from AISES," said White. "Ever since I was a child, I've enjoyed building and fixing things, which eventually led to my career choice in engineering. I am also especially passionate about my culture, and I hope my achievements might help inspire younger members of the Indigenous community to pursue a future in STEM fields and make the world a better place through their work."
White said she was excited to represent her community, Michigan Tech, Oakland University, and Stellantis. "I have been a part of AISES since I was an undergrad at Michigan Tech. I was the AISES Michigan Tech secretary and then president," she said in a LinkedIn post. "AISES has always made me feel like I belong and have a purpose. I have strived to incorporate my culture/traditions into every aspect of my life, whether it is at home or in the workplace."
White has worked in a variety of engineering roles, including instrumentation and diagnostics, at Stellantis, a multinational automotive company and mobility provider that includes Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, and Fiat brands. She has received numerous awards for leading projects in vehicle testing and analysis, and successfully completed Design for Six Sigma Green Belt certification. In 2022, she was selected for a new Stellantis leadership development program, and now serves on that program's board, while also serving as treasurer for the Indigenous Cultural Opportunity Network, a Stellantis business resource group.
As a Husky, White was an active member in the Engineering Ambassadors and Women's Leadership Council. She studied abroad at Leibniz University Hannover, Germany, and received internships with GE Aviation Mechanical Engineering; the Wind Energy Science, Engineering, and Policy Program at Iowa State University; and Indian Health Services.
She was also active in outreach activities, presenting at Family Engineering events in Baraga, L'Anse, and Detroit, and presenting virtually as part of the Michigan Space Grant Consortium grant project "Native American Women in STEM & Natural Resources" in spring 2020.
"It means the world to me when I hear from younger students that I am a role model or someone that they look up to," said White. "I want to make the seven-year-old me proud that I had big dreams for the future. I want to inspire our Indigenous youth to show them that all things are possible."
White's future interest is in automotive electrification, and she intends to keep promoting Indigenous values in design and the workplace.
Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to nearly 7,500 students from more than 60 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
