The George R. Brown School of Engineering and the Rice Engineering Alumni board recently announced Pretta VanDible Stallworth as a recipient of the Outstanding Engineering Alumni Award.
First presented by the Rice Engineering Alumni to George R. Brown in 1974, this award has a long tradition of honoring Rice engineering alumni for outstanding professional achievement and service to society.
VanDible Stallworth received her B.S. and master’s in chemical engineering from Rice in 1983 and 1985, respectively. She is a Top 30 Influential Women of Houston 2023 Honoree and active volunteer for several regional organizations. Throughout her diverse career as an educator, administrator, corporate trainer and business consultant, she has been a steadfast champion for education.
As the District IX Trustee for the Houston Community College Board and as secretary-treasurer for the Association of Community College Trustees Executive Board, she has dedicated herself to strengthening the capacity of community colleges. She has also contributed to education directly with over 36 years’ experience as an adjunct professor, curriculum designer, and online course developer.
For more than 16 years, VanDible Stallworth was the owner and manager of Computer & Technology Support Services (CTS), where she held contracts with Department of Defense military divisions and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. CTS participated in the 2005 Federal Disaster Recovery Katrina Effort, providing technology expertise and support to five Mississippi-based disaster recovery installations.
As a consultant, she has provided project management support for life-saving medical intervention models. Her consulting services helped guide the Texas Pulse Oximetry Project Model, an award-winning national screening model for the early detection of heart defects in apparently healthy newborns, and the Honey Child Prenatal Education Program model, which provides African-American women with culturally-appropriate resources for healthy pregnancy and birth outcomes.
Her influence has helped shape Rice University’s impact on the community through her roles in the Association of Rice University Black Alumni (ARUBA) and Rice Engineering Alumni (REA). VanDible Stallworth is the sponsorship chair for the REA, where she helps bridge the gap between Houston’s underserved schools and Rice Engineering through programs in robotics, advanced technology and other initiatives that increase diverse student engagement in STEM programs.
In addition to her professional career, she has been an active volunteer for the TPT Community Development Corporation and Sam Houston Area Council Boy Scouts of America. She was also a Houston Independent School District Volunteers in Public Schools parent for over 20 years, serving on multiple school PTO organizations.
She also holds a B.S. in chemistry from Texas Southern University, an MBA from Keller Graduate School of DeVry University, and a Ph.D. in Christian Education. She is a Project Management Professional certified by the Project Management Institute International and holds a minority business certification from Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business.
VanDible Stallworth will be honored along with the rest of the 2024 class of award recipients and the 2023 honorees at the George R. Brown School of Engineering Alumni Awards Celebration on September 12, 2024.