Lydia Lazurenko - Hall of Fame 1992

Lydia Lazurenko made history in 1992 when she became the first woman president of the Engineering Society of Detroit (ESD), and the first woman inducted into the college's Hall of Fame. She also was the first woman professional engineer to receive the dual appointment to serve on the Michigan State Boards of Registration of Professional Engineers and Architects in 1978. As a member of these boards, she was selected to be Woman of the Year by the Michigan Association of Professionals (MAP) in 1983. In 1986, she was elected to be first woman president of the Detroit Chapter of the Michigan Society of Professional Engineers (MSPE).

Lydia received a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering in 1955 and in 1972, received a master's degree in mechanical engineering. Both degrees were from Wayne State.

Lydia worked on the design of gas turbine engines for Continental Aviation and Engineering Co., on the Chrysler automotive gas turbine, and then on the General Motors automotive gas turbine.

In 1990, Lydia retired from GM and began teaching in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Lawrence Technological University, from where she retired in 2003. Lydia also fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a private pilot at age 55.