Two Honeywell (NYSE: HON) employees who have helped shape the way the world flies — and how we explore beyond this world — are being honored by their peers. The Arizona women, Terri Taylor, senior engineering manager, and Jennifer Reich, principal engineer, are being recognized by the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) this week for their individual contributions to the aerospace industry, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education), and their communities.

Terri Taylor is being honored with the Resnik Challenger Medal, named for Dr. Judith Resnik, an electrical engineer and longtime SWE member who was a mission specialist on the tragic 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger mission. This award acknowledges Taylor's achievement of expanding space exploration through her invention of the application of spin-bearing technology for attitude control systems that steer, stabilize and point a spacecraft. Her contributions to the technology over the past 27 years have provided reliable, longer-life spacecraft. From the Space Station to imagery satellite to weather satellites, along with undisclosed missions of national importance, Taylor's impact cannot be overstated. Her passion has helped shape the way space is explored, and Taylor is just as passionate about helping to encourage and mentor young female engineers.

Jennifer Reich is being honored with the Emerging Leader Award, which recognizes female engineers who have "demonstrated outstanding technical excellence resulting in significant accomplishments." Reich is an expert and leader in aerodynamic analysis using computational fluid dynamics tools to solve complex problems in the design and development of commercial and military aerospace products. She is an inventor on multiple patents related to aircraft cabin pressurization and engines. Reich is also a published technical author.

Reich is committed to advancing women in engineering, in part through her work mentoring young girls aspiring to grow a STEM field career. She has been an SWE leader for years and is a founding leader of the Women at Honeywell Engineering Network, or WHEN, which creates networking and professional development opportunities for women engineers at Honeywell.

"The men and women recognized this year have made significant contributions to the engineering community," said Jonna Gerken, president of SWE. "They are leaders, inspiring the current and future generation of STEM professionals, and paving the way to empowerment for women engineers everywhere."

Taylor and Reich will be recognized at the SWE annual conference in Austin, Texas, Oct. 26–28, 2017. Billed as the "world's largest conference for women engineers," the event annually draws more than 11,000 industry leaders.