Every year, the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering selects and recognizes outstanding achievements by a number of its alumni, faculty members and students who have excelled in various fields.
Engineering Alumni Association Service Award
Marianne So, P.E., ’07, MBA ’17
Marianne So twice served as president of the UCLA Engineering Alumni Association (EAA) and has volunteered her industry expertise to enhance collaborations between the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering and its more than 40,000 alumni.
Elected by her fellow engineering alumni, So served two consecutive, two-year terms as president of EAA in 2018 and 2020, respectively. She spearheaded the association’s many programs in her second term during the height of the COVID pandemic, overseeing the alumni reunion committee and bringing Bruin engineers together virtually to positively impact the student experience amid the global health crisis. Prior to serving as president, So also served on the EAA board as vice president, secretary and chaired several program committees.
While she was an undergraduate mechanical engineering student, So became a key member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and was elected president in her senior year. It was in this role, where So demonstrated her skill in driving successful collaborations with industry.
After graduating with her bachelor’s degree, So worked in industry and obtained her engineering license in 2011 before receiving an MBA in 2017 from UCLA. She was a principal engineer at Honeywell and is now a mechanical engineer with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, where she works on the department’s system architecture for its treatment facilities, with a focus on pilot studies to evaluate new technologies.
In addition to her significant industry contributions, So has continued to connect with her alma mater as a guest lecturer for an undergraduate course and as an in-demand speaker at various UCLA events. She has also served as a mentor for the Women in Engineering at UCLA program’s Technical Leadership Academy and as a member on the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department’s Alumni Advisory Board and its Industrial Advisory Board.