KNOXVILLE — An engineer who got her master’s from the University of Tennessee and worked at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has been named one of 10 Outstanding Young Americans for 2000 by the United States Junior Chamber of Commerce.
Patricia Welesko Garland, 38, was honored at ceremonies in Washington on Jan. 15. A Pennsylvania native, she earned a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the UT College of Engineering in 1995. She was at ORNL from 1984 until 1996, when Lockheed Martin Energy Systems assigned her to a post in Washington, D.C.
Garland is a technical program manager in the U.S. Department of Energy’s thermally activated heat pump program. She also is U.S. team leader for Annex 24, an international group working on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy efficiency.
Garland is national secretary of the Society for Women Engineers. She lives with her husband, Buddy, and two stepchildren in Mayo, Md.
Each year, the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce recognizes 10 people under age 40 who have made outstanding achievements in areas including science, government service, culture and voluntary service. Previous honorees include Al Gore Jr., Bill Bradley and Peyton Manning.