What I Do I lead a global team of engineers who design and certify products that are used on commercial and military aerospace aircraft. The products range from heat exchangers, Cabin Air Managements Systems, to fuel controls, fuel nozzles, and mechanical power conversion.
Why Engineering? I have always wanted to know how things work and why they work. The engineering profession allows you to not only understand the science of why things work but also allows us to design and create products that solve tough problems.
School Days I attend the University of Colorado Boulder for my bachelors of science in Mechanical Engineering. Later in my career I went back to school to obtain a Masters in Business Administration to supplement my technical skills with business knowledge. I obtain my MBA from the University of Colorado via the UCCS distance program.
My Day At Work My days at work vary. I lead a large team of engineers across many locations. So my workday can consist of program reviews, sharing of information, and developing talent. I might also have customer meetings to discuss current programs or future needs.
Best Part I am a lifetime learner and engineers get to work in areas that push the boundaries of science and create products/solutions that change the world. I enjoy seeing ideas take shape, evolve, and eventually turn into a product that meets a customer's needs.
Proud Moments The proudest moments of my career have been when I have had a positive impact on the people with whom I work. I believe strongly in mentoring and sponsoring others to achieve their best possible outcomes. While I love developing technical products, helping the technical people who design them is what I am most proud of.
Challenges During my career there have been many challenges related to new product development and new learnings late in a development program. These are typically related to a test failure during a qualification programs and there is limited time to recover. There have also been times when I have had to learn about technologies that I had no formal education in. This can seem daunting at first, but I have found that perseverance and time has allowed me to learn what is needed to address my current work challenge. I have also faced challenges related to be the only female engineer in a company early in my career. While this has changed dramatically, I would like to see more women choose engineering as a profession.
My Family I am from a family of engineers. My father, sister, and brother are all engineers. And I married a computer programmer. Our son is currently studying to obtain a degree in computer science.
Dreams and Goals In the near future, I am focused on delivering the business results expected from my role. In addition, I am working within Collin's Aerospace to help address the underrepresentation of women and minorities in our engineering population. I am hopeful that this work will have lasting impact on the profession.
Inspiration My family has always been a large influence on my life. From my paternal grandmother who was adamant that everyone get a college education, to my parents who supported my siblings and me to be who we wanted to be. My father is an electrical engineer so I was introduced to engineering early in my life. He grew up on a farm so our visits to the farm allowed me to see large mechanical equipment. He also made sure that we watched the space shuttle launches which inspired me to learn more about space and stay interested in math and science.
Want to be an Engineer? You can do it! I think many young women don't think this a profession from them whether it is due to the challenging coursework or the perception that engineers only sit at desks all day and don't work with people. The engineering profession has endless possibilities of the type of work that you do as well as the type of products. If you like to solve tough problems and make improvements, this is an excellent field for you.
Hobbies When I am not working, I spend a lot of time creating things. Whether that is through home improvement projects, gardening, reading and writing or a sewing project. I also enjoy exercising and try to get outside in nature when possible to exercise and enjoy nature at the same time.