Indiana Business Leader Is Keynote Presenter for IUP Women in STEM Event
An Indiana County student attending Indiana University of Pennsylvania was selected for the 2026 Patricia Hilliard Robertson Memorial Scholarship for Outstanding Female Science Student.
Grace Rougeaux, a safety, health, and environmental applied sciences major from Creekside, was selected for the scholarship, which was presented April 6 during IUP’s annual Women in STEM Summit, which highlights current women scientists and alumnae working in the science fields.
SCHOLARSHIP PRESENTATION — Grace Rougeaux, a safety, health, and environmental applied sciences major from Creekside, was selected for the Dr. Patricia Hilliard Robertson Memorial Scholarship for Outstanding Female Science Student. The award was presented April 6 during IUP’s annual Women in STEM Summit, which highlights current women scientists and alumnae working in the science fields. From left are Amy Cook, assistant dean in the Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics; Steve Hovan, dean of the Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics; Rougeaux; IUP President Michael Driscoll; IUP alumna and president of Kuzneski Insurance Group and IUP Council of Trustees Vice Chair Laurie Kuzneski, of Indiana, Women in STEM keynote speaker.
The Women in STEM Summit is the opening event for IUP’s annual Research Appreciation Week. The Summit included a poster session of women student research projects and networking opportunities and the presentation of the Dr. Theresa McDevitt Women in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) inaugural Research Award by the IUP Women in STEAM group. The inaugural recipient of this award is Cynthia Roldan, an English and biology major from Philadelphia.
This year’s Women in STEM Summit featured IUP alumna and president of Kuzneski Insurance Group and IUP Council of Trustees Vice Chair Laurie Kuzneski, of Indiana.
The Hilliard Robertson scholarship was established as a living legacy for Patricia Hilliard Robertson, a 1985 graduate of IUP from Homer City, who received the Distinguished Alumni Award from IUP in 2000.
Patricia Hilliard Robertson
Hilliard Robertson died May 24, 2001, in Houston from injuries sustained in the crash of a private plane at Wolfe Air Park in Manvel, Texas. She had been assigned as a crew-support astronaut for the Expedition Two crew that was preparing for service aboard the International Space Station in 2001.
The scholarship is presented annually by family members of the late Hilliard Robertson, including the late Hilliard Robertson’s mother, Ilse Hilliard of Homer City, who was a long-time faculty member at IUP in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. Family members were unable to attend this year’s event. Assistant Dean of the John J. and Char Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Amy Cook presented the award to Rougeaux.
“Patty’s journey is a powerful example of intellectual curiosity, perseverance, and courage,” Cook said.
“From IUP, Patty went on to earn her medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania and completed a three‑year residency in Family Medicine in Erie. Her passion for science, medicine, and exploration led her to the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, where she specialized in space medicine. This unique path ultimately led to her selection in 1998 as a candidate in NASA’s astronaut‑training program at Johnson Space Center,” Cook said.
“Among 31 candidates, Patty was one of only four women—and the only physician—chosen for her class. At the time of her passing in 2001, she was serving as a crew‑support astronaut for Expedition Two, preparing for a mission aboard the International Space Station. She hoped one day to serve as an onboard physician, blending her love of medicine with her passion for space exploration.
“While Patty’s professional achievements are extraordinary, it is important to remember that she valued balance in her life. She loved skiing, windsurfing, hiking, and aerobatic flying, and she treasured time spent with her family, her husband Scott Robertson, and her many friends across the country. Her life reminds us that success in science does not require sacrificing joy, curiosity, or connection,” Cook said.
In December 2023, the late Hilliard Robertson was honored with the naming of a Cygnus spacecraft. The spacecraft, constructed by Northrop Grumman, was named NG-20: the S.S. Patricia “Patty” Hilliard Robertson.
“It’s our tradition to name each Cygnus spacecraft after a significant figure in human spaceflight,” company officials said. “Dr. Robertson was selected in honor of her accomplishments as a space medicine fellow, flight instructor and pilot, and her service as a NASA astronaut.”
The S.S. Patricia “Patty” Hilliard Robertson was launched on January 30 and arrived at the International Space Station on February 1, 2024, where it was installed to the Earth-facing port of the Unity module. The spaceship is the twentieth Northrop Grumman commercial resupply services flight to the space station for NASA.
The Patricia Hilliard Robertson Center for Aviation Medicine at the Indiana Regional Medical Center was named in her honor in 2009.
Rougeaux is the daughter of Jason Rougeaux and Holly Rougeaux and is a 2022 graduate of Marion Center Area Junior High School. She is vice president of the IUP Ladies of Safety Club and is the recipient of the IUP Trustees Scholarship. She completed an internship at McLanahan Corporation, a mining equipment manufacturing facility, and will intern this summer with Liberty Steel in Johnstown. As a high school student, she was active with the Marion Center ATHENA Club.
“I have always had a love for science,” Rougeaux said. “Since coming to IUP, my educational goals changed slightly, but one overarching goal always stayed the same: enhance my knowledge in every possible way, create connections with my classmates, and appreciate the opportunity to learn. I grew up with a wonderful woman leader that I was lucky to call mom and a wonderful father who constantly supported my mother, sister, and I in everything that we did. Having him do that for each of us truly helped us to each become successful. My sister is also an incredible role model, working as a physician's assistant in vascular surgery. My mother, father, and sister each play a huge role in who I am today, and they inspire me every day to pursue my goals.
“I also am surrounded by such a great faculty in the Safety Sciences Department full of talented women,” Rougeaux said. “This includes Dr. (Tracey) Cekada, Dr. (Luz) Marín, Dr. (Laura) Rhodes, and Dr. (Wanda) Minnick. They truly care about each of their students and ensure that we are prepared for a career in safety. I am so incredibly lucky to be surrounded by these superstar women every day at school. I thank them for all they have done for me.
“I am so grateful and honored to be this year’s recipient. Dr. Patricia Hilliard Robertson was such an incredible woman, and I hope to make a similar impact on the world as she did. She is another amazing role model, inspiring so many girls and women to pursue their dreams,” Rougeaux said.
After switching her major from biology to safety, health, and environmental applied science, she found her professional goal: “Protect my employees because everyone is important to someone, and no one deserves to not return home after a day at work,” she said.
Rougeaux plans to earn her certified safety professional certification after working in the field, “and continue to prove that safety science is no longer a man-driven field, and women can belong in any field of work. I want to inspire women to chase their dreams, and I want to inspire everyone to protect their workers,” she said.
“Grace’s academic journey reflects curiosity, reflection, and resilience,” Cook said during the presentation.
“Beginning in environmental engineering, then exploring biology, and ultimately discovering her passion in safety science, Grace demonstrates what it means to thoughtfully pursue the right path,” Cook said.
“Her professional goal—to protect workers and ensure that everyone returns home safely at the end of the day—speaks deeply to the human impact of science. Grace’s passion, balance, leadership, and dedication to improving the lives of others make her an outstanding recipient of this scholarship—and a fitting representation of Patricia Hilliard Robertson’s legacy.”
Research Appreciation Week spotlights the spirit of innovation and collaboration in disciplines throughout the university and recognizes the contributions that IUP’s original research and scholarship make to this region, commonwealth, and world. This year’s events included the third annual Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit, sponsored by the IUP Center for Scholarly Communication in IUP’s Research and Innovation. The Center is directed by Dana Driscoll, who is also the Center’s founder.
Research Appreciation Week also included the twenty-first annual Scholars Forum, featuring more than 100 IUP undergraduate and graduate students and 54 high school students from Blacklick Valley Junior-Senior High School, Indiana Area High School, and West Shamokin High School; the annual Three Minute Thesis competition; and a number of workshops and presentations for student and faculty researchers.
About the Keynote Speaker
Kuzneski Insurance Group is an employee benefits, insurance, and human resources consulting firm started by Laurie Kuzneski’s father-in-law in 1966. The firm has a long-standing history in Indiana County and in western and central Pennsylvania.
In 2013, Kuzneski and her husband, Andy, took ownership of Kuzneski Insurance Group. Beyond managing the marketing for KIG, she is responsible for developing the culture of the organization. As an owner, she has held numerous positions, including HR, operations, finance, and business development. In February 2024, she succeeded her husband in the role of president of KIG.
A 1993 IUP journalism and public relations graduate, Kuzneski started her career in marketing and public relations at First Commonwealth. In 2002, she followed her passion and started Miss Laurie’s Gourmet Kitchen, a home-based business that began with a family recipe for peanut brittle and evolved into a cooking school for children and an opportunity to help women return to the workforce.
Miss Laurie hung up her apron in 2018 after teaching more than 2,000 children how to cook and seeing a handful graduate from culinary school. Her work with Miss Laurie’s Gourmet Kitchen also raised awareness and thousands of dollars in donations for the community to address food insecurity.
She has extensive leadership, fund-raising, and board experience in both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. She has raised millions of dollars for organizations such as the United Way of Indiana County, the YMCA of Indiana County, and the International Myeloma Foundation, based in Los Angeles. She and her husband are cochairs of IUP’s $150 million Impact 150 comprehensive fundraising campaign, launched in August 2025 in celebration of the university’s sesquicentennial. As of December 2025, the campaign has raised more than $102 million.
Kuzneski is the first woman chair of the Indiana County Chamber of Commerce. She is vice chair of the Board of Directors for the Indiana Regional Medical Center and Mountains Health Network (IRMC, Punxsutawney Area Hospital, and Armstrong County Memorial Hospital); is a board member for the Tri-County Workforce Investment Board and the Indiana County Development Corporation; and is a member of many committees for these organizations.
Kuzneski is passionate about investing in and mentoring start-up companies, especially women-led companies. She is a member of the Rising Tide Fund and the Next Act Fund, which invest in companies founded and led by women, and the Fem Tech Fund, which invests in women’s healthcare. She has been a featured speaker for many organizations regionally and nationally.
Kuzneski was selected as Indiana County’s 2025 ATHENA Leadership Award recipient and serves on the Indiana County ATHENA recipients committee. She is the 2018 Indiana County Female Civic Leader Award recipient.
A native of Waterford, Kuzneski is a long-time Indiana resident. She and her husband are the parents of three children, including Andrew IV, who is a 2025 graduate of IUP.