Stephanie Burns

Burns, the daughter of an English and history professor father who was the dean of continuing education at Florida International University in Miami, and a real estate agent mother, was born in Torrington, Wyoming. As a child, Burns was fascinated by the world around her. which she then followed up by joining Dow Corning to continue her research. ==Career==

Burns joined Dow Corning in 1982 in France as a researcher and specialist in organosilicon chemistry, which is the study into compounds made of carbon and silicon. She gradually worked her way into corporate management at Dow Corning, and in 1994 she was appointed director of Women's Health and was part of the Chapter 11 management team. In 1997, she moved to Brussels, after being appointed Science and Technology Director for Europe. She served as the president and chief executive officer of Dow Corning, from February 2003 until her retirement on 31 December 2011. Under Burns's leadership, Dow Corning expanded their range to include more than 7,000 silicon-based products. Burns is the first woman to receive this award, which was presented to her at a dinner in her honor on May 3, 2011, in the Grand Ballroom of the Roosevelt Hotel in New York. ==Service on councils and boards==

Burns has also served as honorary president of the Society of Chemical Industry, as chairwoman of the American Chemistry Council, and on numerous boards, including those of the Michigan Molecular Institute and the Society for Women's Health Research. Burns also was appointed by President Barack Obama to the President's Export Council. ==References==