Distinguished alumni

Linda Van Roekel ’69 Distinguished Professional Achievement

One of Northwestern’s first chemistry graduates, Linda Van Roekel also majored in mathematics and then earned a master’s degree in physical chemistry from the University of Washington. After teaching chemistry and math at a public school in Germany, she returned to the United States and worked as a senior chemist for Monsanto and then a technical manager for Columbia Scientific Industries. Van Roekel spent the final 20 years of her career at INFICON, a manufacturer of high-tech instrumentation, where she was vice president and division manager, responsible for international management and for acquisitions and divestments for her division. During her years at INFICON, she also earned an M.B.A. from Syracuse University.

Award year: 2018