Congratulations to Maddy Jennewein Ph.D. ’10 and Julie Jester Newman ’10, Parker’s 2024 Rising Stars Award Recipients!
The Rising Star Alumni Award is given to an alumnus who embodies the ideals of intellect, initiative, and social responsibility, which are the essence of a Parker education. This person demonstrates leadership and has obtained a high level of accomplishment in their career. They are committed to their community and/or Parker, striving toward local or national recognition.
Maddy Jennewein, Ph.D. ’10 is a senior scientist at Moderna working on EBV vaccine development to protect against infectious mononucleosis. Maddy earned a Ph.D. in virology at Harvard University in 2019; they also graduated with a secondary concentration in Science, Technology, and Society from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Maddy did postdoctoral research at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Care Center, focused on immune development to SARS-CoV-2 and broadly neutralizing antibody responses to infection. After their postdoc, Maddy worked for a biotech institute helping run various vaccine development programs in RNA vaccines.
Julie Jester Newman ’10 is the Chief Engineer for a major satellite program at Boeing. She was recognized with the “20 Under 35” award for her industry. Julie is also an active STEM outreach champion and author of the best-selling book: Pull Don’t Push: Why STEM Messaging to Girls Isn’t Working and What to Do Instead. Over her career, Julie has worked on a wide range of space programs, including the Space Launch System, Starliner Crew Vehicle, SWOT earth-observing satellite, and the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Congratulations again to Maddy and Julie on their accomplishments. Along with the Outstanding Alumni Award Recipients, they will be honored at the inaugural Alumni Awards Ceremony later in May.
