By Stephanie C. Hill, Lockheed Martin’s Vice President and General Manager of Information Systems & Global Solutions Civil & 2014 Black Engineer of the Year
If you want to make a difference in the world – a great place to start is as an engineer or scientist!
During my 27 years at Lockheed Martin, I have had the privilege to support programs that are integral to our national security, and I’d like to share some examples of what is possible in a STEM-based career.
I worked on systems that provide safe air travel and on a Persistent Surveillance Detection System (PTDS) that was known as the “Angel in the Sky” to the mothers in Afghanistan who would only let their children play outside if PTDS was flying. Most recently I worked on a ground-breaking health project that uses health data to help prevent the onset of diseases.
I’m excited and proud to participate in the third USA Science & Engineering Festival. It’s an incredible venue to capture the imaginations of future engineers who will change the world - even those who are not yet interested in and/or doubt that a STEM career is possible for them. It’s been said that “Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.” So we all need to see the possibility in our young people and convince them that if they put their minds to it - anything is possible.
Our nation is at a crisis level when it comes to producing scientists and engineers. We can work together to address this by taking responsibility for sharing how exciting, fun and rewarding STEM careers can be. Our world is facing complex challenges that call for innovative solutions - solutions that help defend global security, push the boundaries of scientific discovery and deliver essential services to citizens around the globe. To ensure we have the necessary workforce of tomorrow, we need to inspire our youth today!
Connect with Stephanie http://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniechill.
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I cannot help but wonder what knowledgeable people like engineers are to do when a species like Homo sapiens is confronted with a colossal planetary emergency that it appears to have induced. Do human beings not have an original, overarching obligation or perhaps an absolute duty to warn of such a dire situation? What honor should be bestowed on first rank scientists and other esteemed professionals in possession of well-established science who pose as if they "see no truth, hear no truth and speak no truth" regarding known causes of the clear and present danger while mainstreamed, false (preternatural, pseudoscientific) knowledge is deliberately allowed to stand unchallenged as if it represented the best available science?
Engineering is definitely an important career today. The impact and creations is continually shaping the modern world. It is not easy however as it requires a lot of work and it can be quite difficult. I find physics to be one of the hardest topics to learn. My dad who is an engineer, went through five years of college to get his degree and spent thousands of dollars for it. He is definitely happy with his job and he feels like he is making an impact every time he goes to work. The demand for engineers is there so those who think they would enjoy it should definitely think about it when they enter college.