WAVIT Expands 2026 Mary Cook Scholarship for Women in AV/IT

• WAVIT relaunched the Mary Cook Empowerment Award to support women entering AV/IT careers
• Shure enables multiple annual winners, expanding scholarship opportunities
• Winners attend InfoComm for training, tech exposure, and networking

WAVIT announced the return of the Mary Cook Empowerment Award: Designing the Future, a scholarship established in memory of the late Mary Cook, an AV industry pioneer known for her commitment to advancing the position of women in the AV/IT sector. 

Mary Cook began her AV career in the year 1991. She co-founded women's councils in the local AVIXA chapters of both Atlanta and Grand Rapids. Her dedication to mentor and advocate for women has helped launch many avenues leading to careers in technical fields such as AV system design. In recognition of her contributions to the AV industry, Mary was inducted into the SCN Hall of Fame at InfoComm in 2017.

The Mary Cook Empowerment Award: Designing the Future Scholarship continues Mary's mission by supporting women during the early phases of their career journeys into the AV/IT industries and by providing access to both formal and informal industry educational programs, mentorships, and networking with peers.

As of 2026, Shure has enabled WAVIT to award more than one winner per year thus expanding scholarship opportunities for women entering the professional audiovisual industry.

Again supporting the scholarship experience, AVIXA provides the full Infocomm experience. Recipients travel to North America's largest professional audiovisual trade show to explore new technologies, attend educational conferences and develop valuable industry contacts.

Chief Global Officer, Sarah Joyce said, “Mary was devoted to making tangible and lasting contributions to the AV industry and supporting women as they developed their careers.” “We’re honored to collaborate with WAVIT and Shure to continue this scholarship in Mary’s name and help empower women to thrive in the AV industry,” she added.

As a founding sponsor, Shure plays a vital role in supporting the scholarship and advancing opportunities for women entering the AV and audio technology fields.

“Mary Cook’s legacy continues to inspire the industry,” said Althea Ricketts, VP Corporate Initiatives from Shure. “We are proud to support WAVIT in honoring her impact while helping develop the next generation of women leaders in AV/IT.”