Dr. Rachel Kohman, director of Kummer Student Programs at Missouri University of Science and Technology, has been named the 2024 recipient of the Dr. Elizabeth Cummins Women’s Advocate Award at Missouri S&T. She was honored during a reception today (Thursday, April 4) at Hasselmann Alumni House.

The Women’s Advocate award is given annually to any Missouri S&T employee, regardless of gender or job designation, who demonstrates commitment to women on campus through mentorship and advocacy and by setting an example through professional achievement. As part of the award, Kohman received a $1,000 stipend funded by Missouri S&T graduate Cynthia Tang, founder and former chair of Insight Industries Inc.

The event also honored Missouri S&T’s Woman of the Year, Dr. Beth Kania-Gosche, professor and chair of education at Missouri S&T.

Kohman joined the university in 2021 as the director of Kummer Student Programs. She designed and implemented the Kummer Vanguard Scholars Program, which provides scholarships and experiential learning opportunities for up to 350 undergraduate STEM scholars each year. Kohman also collaborated on a major redesign of the Freshman Engineering 1100 course, inspired by the Kummer Vanguard Scholars program. Prior to joining Missouri S&T, Kohman served as the senior director of the Center for Student Involvement at Emporia State University in Kansas.

“Her relentless efforts are consistently directed toward creating an inclusive and supportive environment for all members of our community, especially women,” writes one faculty member who nominated her for the award. “She goes above and beyond to ensure students feel heard, valued, and supported in their academic and personal endeavors.”

“Dr. Kohman exhibits an understanding that she is part of a universal effort to raise up other people, to empower individuals for their own achievements, to highlight the strengths of every team member while sharing any burden of difficult, distasteful, or strenuous tasks,” wrote a student nominator.

“She has shown me the type of leader and type of mentor I want to be,” wrote a staff nominator. “She is my role model in this field and has helped me find my passion in higher education.”

Kohman holds a Doctor of Education degree in higher education administration from the University of Wyoming, Laramie. She earned a master’s degree in counseling and college student development from Kansas State University, and bachelor’s degrees in business and economics from Bethany College.

About Missouri University of Science and Technology

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to the Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.