Elayne Arrington Celebrated as Swanson School 2025 Distinguished Alumna in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
Above (L - R): Brian Gleeson, Elayne Arrington, and Michele Manuel
On April 10, 2025, the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering held its annual Distinguished Alumni Banquet at the University Club. Dr. Elayne Arrington, PhD, BSME '61, was recognized at the event as the 2025 Distinguished Alumna in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science.
“At a recent exhibit in Benedum Hall celebrating women in engineering, Elayne was one of many pioneers highlighted who have made a difference in the field and inspired countless young engineers,” said Brian Gleeson, Department Chair of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science. “Of her time at Pitt, Elayne recalls fondly the competitions during Engineers Week, particularly a debate against a classmate in the metallurgical department. Elayne had to defend the affirmative position of a topic she felt favored the negative. Fifty-five years after that debate, she received an email from her debate opponent, recalling the ‘aggressive tactics’ she had used to try to win. Elayne’s tenacity, ingenuity, and courage are just a few of the characteristics that make her remarkable, and it’s a privilege to celebrate her achievements at this banquet.”
About Elayne Arrington
Dr. Elayne Arrington is a native of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. She graduated first in her class at Homestead High School (now Steel Valley High School). Arrington was the first Black female to graduate from the University of Pittsburgh Engineering School and the 17th Black female in the United States to earn a PhD in mathematics. Upon graduation from the University of Pittsburgh, Arrington was employed at the Foreign Technology Division (FTD) of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base as an aerospace engineer. She was the first female employed in such a capacity at FTD. After earning her doctorate, she came to Pitt as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics and remained for 44 years until her retirement with emeritus status.
Arrington is the author of several published papers on the theory of finite solvable groups, and she is profiled in Complexities: Women in Mathematics, published under the auspices of the Association for Women in Mathematics. Arrington had the honor of giving a keynote address for the National Society of Women Engineers inaugural WE Local Conference in Pittsburgh in 2017. She has been the Black History Month speaker and honoree of the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering for priority in engineering, and she has been honored by the University of Pittsburgh African American Alumni Council as a Distinguished Alumna. Arrington has been honored as a History-Maker, receiving the 2018 Heinz History Center Education Award for priority in engineering, mathematics, and education; she was also awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Pittsburgh chapter of NEED in 2019. In 2021, she earned her Master of Theological Studies degree from the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, receiving the Middlesex Memorial Prize for Biblical Studies. In 2024, she was honored to be a recipient of the National Council of Negro Women Legacy Award and an inductee into the Steel Valley Hall of Fame by the Carnegie of Homestead.
Arrington serves on the Board of Trustees of the Community College of Allegheny County. She is Director Emeritus of Christian Education of the Allegheny Union Baptist Association and Dean Emeritus of the Pennsylvania Baptist State Convention.