Samantha Becker and Shannon Evanchec, co-founders of TruePani, were honored with the Dean's Impact Award at the 2022 College of Engineering Alumni Awards, held on Saturday, April 23, in Atlanta. The ceremony was hosted by Raheem Beyah, dean of the College and Southern Company Chair.

The Dean’s Impact Award has been established to recognize the efforts of College of Engineering alumni who are focused on developing globally relevant, locally sustainable designs and innovations that meet societal challenges across the world.

TruePani is an environmental engineering, communications, and consulting firm focused on protecting public health through reducing lead in drinking water.

Becker and Evanchec met on campus in 2015 while working in a water research group. They co-founded TruePani and won the People’s Choice Award at the 2016 InVenture Prize. After earning their bachelor’s degrees, Becker (civil engineering) and Evanchec (environmental engineering) participated in CREATE-X and incorporated TruePani.

TruePani supports state-level governmental clients to implement lead testing programs at schools and childcare facilities. Current projects include statewide programs in Hawaii, Nevada, New Hampshire, and Texas to test for and remediate lead at more than 100,000 drinking water outlets. Through these projects, TruePani aims to provide accessible educational resources to the public about reducing lead exposure in drinking water.

TruePani also helps municipalities, utilities, and water systems achieve compliance with the Lead and Copper Rule revisions. With new and emerging legislation surrounding lead in drinking water, TruePani assists clients in navigating rules and requirements to ensure that lead pipes are identified and properly replaced through their Data Management System and award-winning Locate Your Line tool. TruePani’s work has been featured at several industry conferences and events, the Atlanta Business Chronicle, and Fox5 Atlanta.

Evanchec serves as TruePani’s CEO and recently earned her M.B.A. from the University of Tennessee with a supply chain concentration. Becker, the company’s CTO, received her master’s degree in public health from the University of Michigan in 2019.