the Lynnette M. Cavalier Endowed Scholarship

The Lynnette M. Cavalier Endowed Scholarship was established in 2018 by Lynn Cavalier and shall be awarded annually to female undergraduate students pursuing an engineering degree. Preference will be given to minority female students, sophomore through senior level, in good academic standing, who show a strong work ethic and are involved with student activities. Recipient selection(s) will be made by the College of Engineering scholarship committee and the director of the Women in Engineering program.

Lynn earned a bachelor of science degree in medical technology from Northwestern University in 1973 and a bachelor of science degree in engineering from The University of Akron in 1981. She is a 1999 graduate of The Executive Program at the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration and a 2002 graduate of the Advanced Human Resources Executive Program at The University of Michigan Business School.

Lynn joined Ohio Edison as an engineer in 1981 and by 1990 had been promoted to superintendent of the W. H. Sammis Plant (Units 1-4). Lynn was promoted to superintendent of the New Castle Power Plant in 1993, becoming the first female in Ohio Edison’s history to head a generating plant. By 1996, she led Ohio Edison’s Power Supply Business Growth Team and the FirstEnergy Market Model Task Force. In 1997, Lynn was named president of FirstEnergy’s Eastern Region, Ohio, which was another milestone, as she was its first female operating company president. She was then named vice president of Human Resources in 2001 and promoted to senior vice president in 2005, serving as FirstEnergy’s chief human resources officer. After a fulfilling career with one of the nation’s largest investor-owned electric systems, Lynn retired in 2017.

Throughout Lynn’s thriving career, she remained committed to community leadership by mentoring women regarding their academic and career paths. She is a recipient of the ATHENA Award, The University of Akron’s College of Engineering Distinguished Alumni Award, and the National Society of Fund Raising Executives Outstanding Corporate Philanthropy Award.

Lynn has served many roles in the community including vice chairwoman of the Mahoning Valley campaign for 2000-2001; Youngstown State University Operations Improvement Task Force, vice chairwoman; Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce, vice chairwoman, first female executive committee member and fund-raising committee member; Youngstown-Mahoning Valley United Way, board member; Industrial Information Institute for Education, board member and treasurer; Leadership Mahoning Valley, board member and Youth Business Day co-chair; supported numerous employees in volunteering for Ohio Reads and other volunteer efforts in the community. Lynn was a panel member for the 2001 Athena Leadership Forum, and mentored countless female employees holding leadership roles.