Tonya Peeples, professor of chemical and biochemical engineering and associate dean for diversity and outreach, and Fatima Toor, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, were finalists for awards presented Nov. 10 by the Technology Association of Iowa. 

Peeples was a finalist for the Diversity Champion Award for her work to improve a STEM pipeline in the college through leadership and collaboration. 

Toor was a finalist for the Rising Star Award for encouraging diversity and creativity in her research.

The awards recognizes female innovators, role models and leaders in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields. Sixty-one finalists were selected from 109 nominees.