Lifetime Achievement Award

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Barbara Koenig-Pfannkuche

Title: Electronic Engineer, Retired
Industry: Engineering
Type of Organization: Self Employed
Major Product/Service: Engineering education
Expertise: Ms. Koenig-Pfannkuche is currently retired. She spent 40 years with the Chicago Board of Education, teaching electricity, electronics, and appliance & computer repair. She has also taught electronics engineering to college students and inmates in the jail system. She specialized in drafting and design.
Geographic Area of Distribution: Illinois
University/Degree: A.S., Electronics, DeVry University, 1957; B.S., Industrial Education, Electronics, Chicago State University, 1975
Born: Chicago, Illinois
Hobbies/Sports: Travel, farming, gardening, snow skiing
Work History: Over the course of her career, Ms. Koenig-Pfannkuche worked for Pierce Wire Recorder, Chicago Aerial Industries, Hammond Organ, Union Thermal Electric, Victor Adding Machine, C.P. Clare, and E.P.L.
Honors & Awards: 1st woman to enter and graduate from DeVry University; First female permitted to take electric workshop and shop courses in high school; Received scholarship to the Art Institute in Chicago, Illinois
Career Accomplishments: Ms. Koenig-Pfannkuche was a model in the 1950's. During her career, she engineered cameras for government planes. She also helped work on the early fax machine before transitioning into education. Ms. Koenig-Pfannkuche taught electronics, appliance and computer repair for both high school and college students.