Dr. Tonya Peeples joined Penn State University in 2018 as a Professor on the Chemical Engineering and the inaugural Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion for the College of Engineering. In these roles, she continuously works to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for students, faculty and staff. Prior to these roles, she served as Associate Dean for Diversity and Outreach and Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering at the University of Iowa. She earned her Ph. D. in Chemical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and undergraduate degree from North Carolina State University. She received several awards for her research and leadership including the NSF CAREER Award and the Pioneers of Diversity Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. She currently serves as a co-director for Institutional Change, Co-director of the IThrive Collective and a member of the leadership team for NSF INCLUDES Aspire Alliance. In 2020, Dr. Peeples was elected to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering’s College of Fellows and received the Million Women Mentors Trailblazer Award for her innovation and demonstrated excellence in the field of mentoring.