ChBE graduate student Anne Ruffing received an award from P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization) International recognizing her outstanding academic and research achievements, as well as her extensive outreach activities. Anne is completing her fourth year in the School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering's Ph.D. program under the direction of Dr. Rachel Chen. Anne is the only student in the state of Georgia to receive the P.E.O. Scholar Award this year.

P.E.O., one of the pioneer societies for women, was founded on January 21, 1869, by seven students at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Originally a small campus friendship society, P.E.O. soon blossomed to include women off campus. Today, P.E.O. has grown from that tiny membership of seven to almost a quarter of a million members in chapters in the United States and Canada. The P.E.O. Sisterhood is passionate about its mission: promoting educational opportunities for women. Our sisterhood proudly makes a difference in women's lives with five international philanthropies: P.E.O. Educational Loan Fund, Cottey College, P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship Fund, P.E.O. Program for Continuing Education, and P.E.O. Scholar Awards. P.E.O. is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa.

P.E.O. Scholar Awards (PSA) was established in 1991 to provide substantial merit-based awards for women of the United States and Canada who are either pursuing a doctoral level degree or engaged in postgraduate study or research at an accredited college or university.