Women in ME flourish

More and more females are pursuing ME degrees

Leadership positions are available at major companies

By Diane McDilda
Contributing Editor

In 2004, 15 percent more women than men received
ME degrees, according to data compiled by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Although the total number of men holding engineering degrees still outnumbers women, that gap is starting to close. Nearly a decade of NSF data shows an increase of only 2 percent in students earning all engineering degrees, from 63,371 in 1995 to 64,675 in 2004; the number receiving mechanical engineering degrees actually decreased by 5 percent. But the percentage of women has continued to grow.

Growing diversity
Many companies striving for a diverse workplace have a growing pool from which to recruit. Ramona Blake, diversity and inclusion manager for PSEG (Newark, NJ), a publicly traded energy company, says, “At PSEG we value diversity and are committed to growing and maintaining a diverse workforce. We understand this commitment isn’t just a ‘nice thing to do,’ but also a clear business imperative that increases the strength of our workforce.”

One program that’s contributing to the pool of women engineering candidates is housed at Smith College (Northampton, MA), the largest liberal arts college for women in the U.S. Linda Jones is the director of the college’s Picker Engineering Program, where graduates earn a degree in engineering science that can lead directly to a career or be used as a segue to graduate school, where they can specialize in a discipline like ME. “About 50 percent of our students go directly into the job market,” Jones says. “There is a wide array of jobs available, from environmental work to positions in the engine groups at companies like
Pratt & Whitney.”

The women ME grads interviewed for this story are making strides in the field and earning the respect and admiration of their veteran colleagues in the process.

Melida Chin does reliability modeling at AMD

Melida Chin, PhD believes there is no better place than Silicon Valley to find both high technology and diversity. Chin works at Advanced Micro Devices (AMD, Sunnyvale, CA) as a senior technology and integration engineer. Her work with semiconductor devices and electronic packaging is all about “finding the best hardware configuration to assure robust performance and long life.”

Chin earned her undergraduate degree in electromechanical engineering at the Universidad Tecnologica de Panama in 1994. One of her earliest jobs was with the Panama Canal Commission, which was a U.S. entity at the time. Working for a U.S. organization, she learned about life in the States and decided to relocate. She earned both her 2000 masters and 2005 PhD in ME from the University of Michigan
(Ann Arbor, MI).

Chin grew up in Panama. She was the fourth of five daughters, so many hand-me-down playthings came her way. She enjoyed repairing the used toys and soon realized she had a knack for hands-on engineering.

For her current project at AMD she determines the impact of the packaging process on processed chips. Chin works with engineers from both the semiconductor and packaging fields. “There’s so much you can learn from people with different backgrounds,” she says.

People with a variety of technical, personal and cultural backgrounds make AMD an innovative company, notes Edward Gadsden, vice president, global talent acquisition and diversity. “Diversifying AMD’s workforce falls naturally into our values and culture. We’re in one of the world’s most challenging industries; we look to attract the best talent and reflect the global markets and communities in which we operate.”

Bell Helicopter’s Ragini Potluri is in flight testing

Growing up in India, Ragini Potluri watched her peers follow the popular path to computer science, but she wasn’t one to fall in line. The industry that beckoned her was aerospace. Even as a youngster, “I loved anything that flew,” says Potluri. That led her to ME, which she saw as a base that could be applied to many different industries.

She got her bachelor of technology in ME from Sri Venkateswara University in Tirupati, India in 2002. She moved to the U.S. and earned her masters in aerospace engineering in 2005 from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA). Potluri now works with Bell Helicopter (Forth Worth, TX) as a propulsion system integration and analysis engineer.

At Bell, Potluri participates in flight tests. “Engineers, designers, equipment representatives and clients all come together to observe helicopters in motion,” she explains. This real-time data is used to verify performance and provide insight for equipment improvements. Potluri also works with commercial clients to design aircraft for fire departments, police departments and even company executives.

Potluri chairs Bell’s Asian employees association and is a member of Bell’s diversity steering committee. She enjoys her work with both groups and the social contacts they provide. “They’re an outlet,” says Potluri. “They get me away from the pen and paper and out meeting and talking with people.” She also mentors middle-school girls as part of the national Expanding Your Horizons program (www.expandingyourhorizons.org), which encourages girls’ interest in engineering.

Potluri appreciates the value of both being and having a mentor. “It’s important to have someone to go to when you have questions,” she says. “I have had both formal and informal mentors and have learned equally from both.”

Karissa Finley: a mechanical foreman at BNSF Railway

Throughout grade school Karissa Finley didn’t think much about engineering. But with a little encouragement from her older brother, she earned a bachelors in mechanical engineering technology in 2005 from Texas A&M (College Station, TX) and is now a mechanical foreman at the Seattle, WA Interbay facility of BNSF Railway (Fort Worth, TX). She leads twenty-five employees, including mechanics, pipe fitters, electricians and sheet metal workers, who maintain and service fleet locomotives.

Finley didn’t set out to work on the railroad, but during a career fair BNSF recruiters urged her to watch a company video. By the time it was over she was so excited she applied for a position. The idea of being a part of a time-honored industry with roots deep in the country won her heart. Finley is one of only a handful of women in the ninety-person mechanical department at Interbay, and many of the people she supervises are a generation or two older than she is. At first they “acted like my grandfathers,” she says. But as time passed and her experience increased, that attitude was replaced with earned respect and friendship.

The supportive environment, along with career opportunities, attracts women to the company. “BNSF is committed to being an employer of choice. Women play a vital role in all aspects of the business, and their inclusion as leaders in operations ensures diverse perspectives,” says Birdie Sadberry, director of planning and administration, BNSF mechanical.

Finley’s favorite projects have revolved around safety. Once a year each foreman is responsible for identifying and fixing a safety concern. Her first time out Finley determined that her shop employees’ most pressing problem was slippery floors caused when tanks of mixed fluids were drained inside the repair shop. Her simple solution: drain the tanks before bringing them into the shop.

Jennifer Gabrielson: project engineer for Cargill

Jennifer Gabrielson knows that turning wheat into flour is a complex process. As an entry-level engineer for Horizon Milling, a business unit of Cargill, Inc (Minneapolis, MN), she spent several months overseeing steps from wheat grinding to sifting to purifying. Two years ago she moved into a more typical engineering role.

“It was a far cry from the classroom,” says Gabrielson. “When things were running smoothly I could use the opportunity to learn more about how to optimize the plant. When they weren’t my crew and I had to troubleshoot and get the mill running again, fast.”

For the last two years Gabrielson has worked as a construction project engineer, managing contractors on a variety of jobs. They’ve all been men, most with years more experience than she has. The plant management team is all male too, but the age and gender differences haven’t been a problem. Cargill acknowledges that women have a vital role to play in the organization.

“At Cargill we recognize and value the unique differences female engineers bring to our business, and we are actively working to attract, develop and retain them,” says Ron Christenson, corporate VP and chief technology officer.

Gabrielson prefers the carrot over the stick when it comes to management style. “The way I interact with plant workers or contractors may be different than my male co-workers, but that’s not bad,” Gabrielson says. “I do sometimes have to act a bit harsh when I’m being the ‘safety police’ during construction. Personal safety is something Cargill isn’t willing to compromise on.”

Gabrielson encourages other women not to be intimidated by ME. Horizon Milling, she notes, does its part to support its female employees. The company recently started Female Leaders in Operations and Utility Resources (FLOUR), a group that currently includes mill supervisors, facility managers, regional managers and project managers. FLOUR gives new engineers a chance to network with experienced leaders in supportive mentoring relationships. “You really feel like you’re not alone,” Gabrielson says.

Cummins’ Melissa Zaczek treats diesel emissions

Melissa Zaczek didn’t plan on being an engineer. She saw her ME degree as good preparation for law school and a career in environmental politics. But after several political science classes and a few co-ops, she realized that engineering solutions to environmental problems was more her style than legislating them.

Zaczek now combines her interest in politics and the environment with ME to reduce diesel emissions from mobile sources. She earned her bachelors and masters in ME from Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY) in 2006 and started at Cummins Emission Solutions (Columbus, IN), where she works on after-treatment systems for a variety of diesel engine applications.

Her projects center on both regulated and unregulated emissions. Regulated emissions must meet standards determined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“I characterize the performance of our emission-reducing systems,” says Zaczek. “I look at what emissions the engine will produce and map the performance of a specific catalyst at different temperatures and flow rates.” She particularly enjoys assignments that bring together a variety of people with cross-functional responsibilities.

Her four internships helped Zaczek determine what she wanted to do when she finished her degree. “Internships helped me realize what I liked and what I didn’t like. For one internship I lived in France and worked with Matlab and programming.”

Zaczek still enjoys traveling when time allows. When she’s in Indiana she volunteers at an animal rescue organization, plays recreational sports, and tutors second graders.

Jessica Dehnke inspects John Deere engine parts

After finishing up her BSME from Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS) in 2005, Jessica Dehnke was ready to launch her career. She interviewed with John Deere (Moline, IL) and was impressed by the company’s long-term opportunities.

“Jobs here go beyond typical engineering roles,” Dehnke says. “There are positions in sales, manufacturing and supply management, and a lot of chances to move around. John Deere employees are likely to stay with the company for their whole careers.”

John Deere’s roots may be in the tractor business, but it’s now a sophisticated company with operations all over the world. It’s not uncommon for engineers in the U.S. to collaborate with colleagues in Mexico or France. Dehnke works in the Waterloo, IA plant.

Her recent projects have included life-testing of engines. Using prototypes, she looked for the weakest links in engine parts. She monitored the engine teardown, inspected for wear, and reported to the relevant project team.

Dehnke was surprised at how easy it was to break down an engine. “I didn’t have experience on the shop floor, but now I love being hands-on. I’ve learned that the more questions you ask and the more involved you are, the more you’ll learn and be able to apply what you learned in school.” Dehnke works mostly with men in the shop, but sees the number of women growing. This increase is not by chance.

“John Deere values diversity in its workforce, because diversity brings different perspectives to solving problems, developing programs and making decisions. We arrive at better decisions with diverse perspectives from employees of different genders, cultures and backgrounds,” says Laurie Zelnio, director of safety and environment. “Women are a very important part of the diversity of John Deere. As a multinational company we are seeking talent in over seventy countries around the world. Attracting and hiring professional women is a key part of Deere’s strategy for global growth.”

Katherine Torres works with reactor systems for PSEG

At PSEG Nuclear (Newark, NJ) Katherine Torres works to keep the power going. She is in charge of three safety support systems for a nuclear reactor. Torres made her way to the nuclear industry via chemical engineering. She obtained a chemical engineering science bachelors degree from the University of Puerto Rico in 2005. But even with a chemical background, her job relies in large part on the mechanical knowledge that all engineers acquire in their first years of school.

Her responsibilities include monitoring vital pumps and valves, and she doesn’t do it alone. “I belong to a group of managers who also run nuclear power plants. It’s a network of people in the nuclear industry from all over the world. If I have an issue or question I can bring it up to the group. For example, during a scheduled plant outage we found a problem with one valve that wouldn’t close. I sent an e-mail to the group explaining what I had already tried and immediately got twenty e-mails back with suggestions. I have really learned so much.”

Being female and Hispanic can be a challenge in the workplace, but it has not held Torres back. “Yes, you have to be tough and sometimes thick-skinned,” she says. “But if you work hard, people will respect you. There will always be those who say women and minorities receive special treatment, but when you look at what I’ve done, it speaks for itself.”

Shelly Kugler, branch manager at the Hope Creek Generating Station, believes women like Torres not only improve operations, but also draw other women to the industry.

“When I first came to PSEG Nuclear there weren’t a lot of women engineers. The nuclear industry has definitely changed, and we have a good mix of people on board that allows us to attract and retain diverse talent like Katherine. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge, skills and abilities that strengthens my group everyday,” says Kugler.

Rohm and Haas’ Natalee Bailey cuts energy and costs

Natalee Bailey of Rohm and Haas (Philadelphia, PA) works to increase energy efficiency. During her first week on the job she got involved with an energy-saving heat exchanger project. Eighteen months later the design was finished, construction was completed, and the savings under way. The heat exchanger is now on track to save the company a quarter of a million dollars a year.

Bailey earned her bachelors in chemical engineering from Florida A&M University (Tallahassee, FL) in 2006. When it came time to put her degree to work, she picked Rohm and Haas for a variety of reasons. “It has five different divisions, so you can move around and do different jobs,” says Bailey. “It’s big on safety, and that’s important to me. I was also very impressed with the company culture.”

“We recognize the importance and benefits of having a diverse workforce across various dimensions, including gender,” says Stacey B. Adams, global diversity director. “The contributions of women engineers, scientists and other professionals have a long history at Rohm and Haas. The experiences, perspectives and leadership styles of women in the workforce increase our ability to connect with the needs of our customers, communities and other stakeholders. At Rohm and Haas we are creating an atmosphere of success for women like Ms Bailey. We don’t have to talk about the business case for gender diversity; we are living it every day.”

D/C

Diane McDilda is an environmental engineer and freelance writer in Gainesville, FL.

Back to Top