| National Engineers Week Presents the New Faces of Engineering.  LT (Lieutenant) Julie Boettcher
Nominated by the U.S. Navy Nuclear Propulsion Program
Boettcher’s efforts have streamlined and improved procedures for nuclear reactor safety on U.S. Navy aircraft carriers. As an engineer aboard the US Navy’s supercarrier GEORGE H W BUSH, Lieutenant Julie Boettcher, 26, oversees some of the most critical functions of the nuclear reactor power system of this enormous aircraft carrier. Leading a team of 45 enlisted personnel in training, maintenance and testing on the ship’s multiple nuclear reactor safety control systems, she has established an outstanding record of leadership. Among Boettcher’s achievements has been the completion of a six-month qualification program in less than three months that allowed her to supervise both the construction and operation of the Navy’s most modern nuclear reactor and most technologically advanced propulsion plant, a feat that has set her apart from her peers. Additionally, Boettcher guides a 25-person watch team with such precision that she has consistently received “superstar” mentions during ship inspections. Further, her reputation for peer leadership, as established by 15 detailed training lectures, has resulted in programs that have saved the Navy hundreds of hours of labor and thousands of dollars in overtime costs. Education
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 2003 « back  Thomas David Borrowman
Nominated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Research Civil Engineer – U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, Mississippi
Borrowman conducts critical sediment and dredging assessments in American ports and harbors. For Tom Borrowman, 30, removing sediment and dredging shipping channels in the nation’s ports and harbors is more than just keeping shipping lanes open and running, it’s a matter of maintaining a lifeline in the American economy. Conducting sediment and dredging research to support the Army Corps of Engineers' $1.5 billion navigation mission, Borrowman plays a critical part in this economic link, where two-thirds of consumer goods purchased in the U.S. pass through Corps-maintained harbors, and the U.S. marine transportation industry supports nearly $1 trillion in commerce. Borrowman’s commitment to the nation extends beyond navigation, it also compelled him to voluntarily deploy to Louisiana following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, where he served as Mission Specialist of the Corps' Temporary Roofing Mission. He directly supervised the plastic tarp distribution warehouse that provided more than 50,000 temporary roofs for the Louisiana "Blue Roof” mission, earning him the Commander's Award for Civilian Service and Army Service Medal. Since then, Borrowman was selected to the Corps' prestigious Emerging Leaders Conference and served as interim chief of the Environmental Engineering Branch, supervising 33 employees conducting over $6 million of research and development annually. Borrowman is currently president of the American Society of Civil Engineers Vicksburg, Mississippi Branch. Education
B.S. Civil Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 1999
M.S. Civil Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 2002 « back  Raynelle Natasha Callender
Nominated by the National Association of Multicultural Engineering Program Advocates (NAMEPA)
Regional Sales Executive – Rolls-Royce North America, Inc., Chantilly, Virginia
Callender markets Rolls-Royce’s civil aero-engine aftermarket service to business aircraft customers. Raynelle Callender, 27, began her career in a leadership development program at Rolls-Royce North America Inc. in June 2002. This role allowed her to utilize her engineering background in a business setting, which focused on the civil aero-engine market. Over the next few years, she held various positions where she gained more experience in the technical and business aspects of aviation and it soon became apparent that this was a woman destined for corporate leadership. In January 2005, her leadership abilities were broadened when Rolls-Royce North America’s CEO selected Callender to develop and chair the company’s First Annual Women’s Leadership Conference. In May 2005 she became a regional sales executive responsible for the marketing and selling of CorporateCare, a civil aero-engine aftermarket service, to prospective customers in the Western United States and Mexico. In this position she has utilized the knowledge gained from her years at Rolls-Royce and her systems engineering background to increase the company’s market share and revenue. Callender accounts for 25 percent of the CorporateCare sales generated annually. Callender is currently a member of the Society of Women Engineers and continues to promote math and science initiatives by serving as a mentor and volunteering throughout the Washington, D.C. area. In February 2006, she was recognized as a Black Engineer of the Year “Modern Day Technology Leader, who is helping to shape technology in the future.” She has also returned to her alma mater and other universities to work with and recruit engineers. Education
B.S. Systems Engineering, University of Virginia School of Engineering, Charlottesville, VA, 2002 « back  Annmarie Connor
Nominated by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Mechanical Design Engineer, United Space Alliance, Cape Canaveral, Florida
Connor assists in the design of orbiter and external tank systems for the Space Shuttle. As a mechanical engineer in the Launch Site Design Engineering directorate at United Space Alliance at the Kennedy Space Center, Annmarie Connor, 28, supports design efforts for the Space Shuttle’s Orbiter and External Tank Ground Support Equipment. Connor has also recently been tasked as the System Design Engineer for Orbiter Access and Multi-Use Ground Handling Equipment. In that role, she will lead and organize design projects which include cost estimates, researching and selecting equipment and materials, preparing engineering analyses and drawings, and certifying modifications and new designs. Previously at United Space Alliance, Connor was a reliability engineer responsible for guaranteeing a safer Space Shuttle and mission by performing criticality assessments and failure modes and effects analyses to identify risk to personnel, damage to flight hardware, and loss of life and Space Shuttle. Connor earned her Six Sigma Green Belt from the Harrington Institute, and is currently working toward a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certified at United Space Alliance. She is an active member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers on the local and international levels, as well as a national, regional, and sectional leader of the Society of Women Engineers. She is also active in community outreach programs and as a volunteer at her church. Education:
BS Mechanical Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, 2002
MS Mechanical Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, 2006 « back  Jessica L. Heier
Nominated by the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE)
Doctoral Student, School of Industrial & Systems Engineering– Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
Heier uses cutting edge logistics methodologies for more effective humanitarian response to crises and disasters. For Jessica Heier, 26, two powerful influences guided her decision to become an industrial engineer. On the one hand, she enjoyed applying mathematics to system problems. On the other, she wanted to have an impact on important societal issues. Those two forces came together when Heier recognized that she could apply logistics methodologies to help humanitarian organizations plan and respond to crises in ways that can improve people’s lives. In 2007, Heier collaborated on a project to improve the vaccine supply chain for the Pan American Health Organization as it supports 37 countries in Central and South America with vaccination and disease prevention processes, including developing a more accurate method to estimate transportation costs for vaccines shipped throughout the region. Currently, Heier is at work on her dissertation which examines logistics systems with decentralized decision-making, a common characteristic of disasters. She expects her research to make fundamental contributions to science and provide methods to improve humanitarian response. Her work is supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. Heier’s long-standing commitment to creating opportunities for young women in technical professions is also inspiring future engineers, such as a hands-on activity she developed to teach middle school girls about humanitarian logistics. Heier plans to become a professor, continuing to improve relief logistics while teaching future engineers. Education
B.S. Industrial Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 2004 « back  Dennis Lee
Nominated by the Project Management Institute (PMI)
Senior System Engineer II, Raytheon Company, El Segundo, California
Lee has helped develop real time imaging systems for unmanned military surveillance aircraft. As a senior systems engineer at Raytheon, Dennis Lee, 29, supports the Electro Optic imaging system on board the Global Hawk, an unmanned military aircraft. This intelligence gathering system provides real time images to troops and is credited with saving the lives of U.S. personnel and allies. Lee has responsibility for both the production of the system and for developing new capabilities needed by our troops. In addition to his technical skills, Lee’s management ability at Raytheon has made him an effective lead for his engineering team on many investigations. He has completed the company’s System Engineering Technical Development Program, which exposes potential high-level employees to each of Raytheon’s business units and facilities throughout the country. During this two-year program, Dennis demonstrated leadership ability culminating in his teams’ presentation of a paper – A Systems Engineering Approach to Educational Decomposition – at the Raytheon Systems Engineering Symposium in August 2007. Additionally, as an undergraduate, Lee was part of a research team that presented original work on the design and testing of a microelectromechanical systems-based microfluidic system at a University of California, Irvine symposium in 2000. Lee is also an active member of the Chinese Institute of Engineers-USA, co-chair of Engineers Week 2008. Education
B.S. Electrical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, 2000
M.S. Engineering Management, University of Southern California, 2008 « back  Angela Lang Matthews, P.E.
Nominated by the Chinese Institute of Engineers – USA (CIE-USA)
Project Engineer – Carter & Burgess, Inc., Dallas, Texas
Matthews analyzes and implements water, wastewater and storm drainage systems for communities. As a licensed engineer in the water infrastructure programs division of Carter & Burgess in Dallas, Angela Lang Matthews, 28, analyzes, designs, and implements a wide variety of water, wastewater and storm drainage systems for various communities. Among her current projects are the designs of two 500,000-gallon elevated water storage tanks in the cities of Fate and Trophy Club, Texas, hydrologic calculations and modeling of storm events for a development in Princeton, Texas, and rehabilitation of wastewater lines and elevated water tanks in Kaufman, Texas. Previous work includes an analysis of the water impact of the potential development of Logistics Park in Gardner, Kansas, an intermodal facility being constructed in conjunction with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Company, and design of a storm drainage system for the Warren Sports Complex in Frisco, Texas. As an engineer-in-training at another consultant engineering firm in Dallas, her work included pump station improvements in Wylie, Texas, a large diameter water supply line route study and design in Carrollton, Texas, and hydraulic analyses of water and wastewater systems and pipeline design in various municipalities in north central Texas. Matthews is an active member of the Chinese Institute of Engineers – USA where she currently serves as vice president for public relations. She is also program chair of the American Society of Civil Engineers – Dallas Branch, and president of the Asian Professional Exchange of Dallas, leading a steering committee that oversees corporate networking, professional development seminars, and various community and cultural projects. Education
B.S. Civil Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 2002 « back Molly E. McGuire
Nominated by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and
Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
Mechanical Designer, Taylor Engineering, LLC, Alameda, California McGuire designs low-impact building HVAC and energy solutions and develops national green building standards. Motivated by the growing relevance of energy and resource issues, Molly McGuire, 30, received a Master’s degree in Building Technology from MIT as a Presidential Fellow in 2005. She maintained a focus on advanced energy efficient strategies and completed her thesis in the design of innovative building daylight technologies for commercial buildings. She also taught undergraduate classes in building technology and daylighting. Following her graduate studies, McGuire joined Taylor Engineering in 2005 as a mechanical designer in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and building energy design. Since joining Taylor Engineering, McGuire has worked on numerous energy efficiency projects. She recently completed the design of an under-floor air distribution HVAC system serving a library slated for LEED Silver certification. Her projects, including retrofits of two chemistry laboratories and a medical research center at Stanford University, have markedly reduced building energy consumption. To better implement energy savings in these designs, she has developed a tool for hydronic pipe sizing to optimize the balance between life cycle energy and first costs. The tool was used to develop proposed pipe sizing requirements in ASHRAE Standards 90.1 and 189.1. McGuire is a voting member of ASHRAE’s Standard Project Committee 189.1 for the design of high performance commercial and high-rise residential green buildings. She has been an active contributor, advancing aggressive energy and indoor environmental quality targets and setting standards that will contribute to improved building efficiencies and a reduced overall impact on the global environment. Education
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 1999
M.S. Building Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 2005 « back  Javier F. Moncada, EIT
Nominated by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Engineer II, Berger/ABAM Engineers, Inc., Portland, Oregon
Moncada’s coastal engineering studies include wave forces and the potential impact of tsunami events. While in graduate school, Javier Moncada, 27, focused on wave forces and the devastating human impacts of tsunami events. After graduation, he joined marine geologists and paleo-seismologists on an international research vessel near the epicenter of the 2004 Sumatra Subduction Zone Earthquake (“subduction” is the term used to describe when one tectonic plate is pulled under another), collecting marine paleo-tsunami deposits from the Indian Ocean floor. Moncada is also an active volunteer. Working with Los Embajadores, an Oregon-based program that works on community projects in Mexico, Moncada traveled in 2004-05 to Mexico to help build schools with Corvallis, Oregon high school students. For Moncada, who lived in Colombia from the ages of 7 to 9 and grew up in a bilingual Oregon home, the project was a natural fit. He has also volunteered at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Oregon, educating youth and the general public about marine wildlife and coastal engineering. While at junior college, Javier tutored mathematics and engineering to young and non-traditional students. He is currently treasurer of the American Society of Civil Engineers – Oregon Section, and is founding a renewable energy technical group. He holds an Engineer in Training certificate, and is working at Berger/ABAM Engineers on civil engineering and leadership in energy and environmental design projects. Education
B.S. Civil Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 2004
M.Eng. Civil Engineering (Ocean and Coastal Engineering Program), Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 2007 « back  Rajarshi Mukhopadhyay, Ph.D.
Nominated by the IEEE / IEEE-USA
Mixed Signal Design Engineer – Texas Instruments, Dallas, Texas
Mukhopadhyay pioneers super high speed wireless data transfer and next generation disk drive technology. It should come as no surprise that for Rajarshi Mukhopadhyay, Ph.D., 26, who completed his undergraduate studies at age 21 and received his Ph.D. at age 25, speed and efficiency are at the heart of his work. Dr. Mukhopadhyay has pioneered the development of ultra-high data rate (higher than five gigabytes per second) wireless systems operating at 60GHz, such a high speed that would make high-definition media streaming and file sharing a “blink-and-done” affair. Dr. Mukhopadhyay is dedicated to increasing value for money for customers. Under current conditions, for example, wireless data rates of about 100 megabytes per second can take minutes to move music or video onto an iPod. Applying Dr. Mukhopadhyay's revolutionary innovations while at Georgia Institute of Technology and Intel Corporation, downloading a 17 gigabyte video would take less than three seconds using a wireless iPod. Currently at Texas Instruments (TI), Dr. Mukhopadhyay is responsibly contributing to grow TI's world-leading disk drive technology business. TI currently dominates this market with the industry's fastest read/write speeds and error-free data transfer with the lowest power consumption. Dr. Mukhopadhyay is currently making design advancements that will continue to extend TI's market dominance in this arena. Dr. Mukhopadhyay's work with TI Storage Products Group will lead to lighter weight, longer battery life, easier heat-dissipation, and blazing gaming and access speeds in computers, iPods, and other electronic devices. In 2004, Dr. Mukhopadhyay’s published research received high honors at the IEEE International Microwave Symposium and gained such worldwide popularity that it was among the top 50 most downloaded transactions from IEEE’s MTT (microwave theory and techniques) web site in 2005. He has published 20 technical papers (including three invited) in prestigious IEEE journals and conferences, and holds eight patents (issued and pending). He also serves as a registered reviewer for IEEE-TCAS journals. Away from work, Dr. Mukhopadhyay is a painter, musician, active member of the IEEE Dallas-MTT chapter, and a volunteer for UnitedWay. His art has received honors at Texas Instruments’ art shows, and he has served as director of the IIT Music Society. Education
B.Tech. (Honors) Electronics & Electrical Communication Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India, 2002
M.S. Electrical & Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 2004
Ph.D. Electrical & Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 2006 « back  Benjamin L. Phillips, EIT
Nominated by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)
Project Engineer – Stantec Consulting Services, Inc., Lexington, Kentucky
Phillips oversees crucial testing of levees in the reconstruction of New Orleans. Ben Phillips, 27, a civil engineer with Stantec Consulting Services in Lexington, Kentucky, is helping to lead one of the largest and most diverse geotechnical programs in history on the levees of New Orleans. As part of a $100 million post-Katrina rehabilitation contract, Phillips was one of the first geotechnical engineers on the ground in the Crescent City with a mission to deliver soil test data from the 350 miles of federal levees on an expedited basis. This critical feeds the design teams assisting in both the rapid and long-term design efforts to protect New Orleans against future disasters. Working initially from a make-shift tent that he helped construct in a parking lot full of displaced New Orleans residents in FEMA trailers, Phillips worked 15-hour days in the sweltering New Orleans heat coordinating the efforts of several drilling crews on multiple tasks over a broad geographic area. Among his outstanding achievements was the establishment of an 8,000 square foot state-of-the-art soils testing laboratory and 10,000 square foot warehouse near New Orleans, one of the largest geotechnical testing facilities in the nation, to process the 630 tons of samples needed to define the underlying soil properties of the levees surrounding the city. Education
B.S. Physics and Mathematics, Union College, Barbourville, KY, 2002
B.S. Civil Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 2005
M.S. Civil Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 2005 « back  Colwyn Mark Sayers, P.E.
Nominated by the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE)
Engineer – Stantec Consulting Services, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio
Sayers performs underwater bridge inspections to ensure infrastructure integrity and safety. A diving helmet, fins, and a wetsuit are the typical dress code for Colwyn Sayers, 27. As an engineer diver for Stantec Consulting Services, Colwyn has performed underwater structural bridge inspections for transportation clients throughout the Southeast and Midwest. His efforts contribute to the stability of our nation’s infrastructure and help prevent tragedies like the recent bridge collapse in Minneapolis. Sayers has examined and reported on the structural integrity of more than 70 bridges for state departments of transportation in the past year. In the sometimes murky waters beneath a bridge, his trained hands feel for undermining, cracks, section loss or other signs of deterioration that may cause instability or even the collapse of the bridge. His work also helps lengthen the service life of in-service bridges and reduces the maintenance and reconstruction costs of U.S. infrastructure. Sayers earned his civil engineering degree from the United States Coast Guard Academy and then completed his Masters in civil engineering at the University of Kentucky. He has had a life-long passion for the water and is proud to use his specialized training to make the transportation system safer for drivers that travel across these bridges every day. Education
B.S. Civil Engineering, United States Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT, 2003
M.S. Civil Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 2004 « back  Lynn Takala
Nominated by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
Process Engineer – Fluor, Greenville, South Carolina
Takala designs world-class chemical facilities around the globe. Lynn Takala, 25, understands the importance of global engineering challenges, but she’s also fully aware of the significance of local humanitarian efforts. As a process engineer with Fluor’s Chemical Technology Center in Greenville, South Carolina, Takala supports project development of world-class chemical facilities around the globe. Her position has given her opportunities to develop facilities in Canada, the Middle East, Europe, China, and Russia. Projects include grassroots complexes, plant revamps, de-bottlenecking and expansions, auxiliary facilities and technical services. She has engineered all design phases, from concept development to detailed engineering. Most recently, she supported definition of a billion-dollar Russian polypropylene facility, and was instrumental in selecting the core technology. Despite the global reach, Lynn finds time for the local community. On any given Saturday, she can be found pounding hammers as she helps builds homes for Habitat for Humanity, or visiting the local nursing home with orphaned animals from the Greenville Humane Society. Her other activities include helping out at Meals on Wheels, Backpack Basics, Special Olympics, and National Engineers Week. Lynn is also deeply involved with tutoring elementary and middle school students. Education
B.S. Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 2004 « back  Tony Thomas
Nominated by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)
Senior Reservoir Engineer – Schlumberger, Beijing, China
Thomas studies subsurface geology to maximize extraction of oil and natural gas supplies. As a senior reservoir engineer in the petroleum industry, Tony Thomas, 28, works in unraveling the mysteries of the earth to determine what may lie far below the surface. As he determines if it holds oil, natural gas, or other assets thousands of feet underground, he must also figure out how much it contains and how it can get to the surface in the most economic way. As global energy demand puts increased demands on energy supply, understanding the earth below and how best to maximize extraction of hydrocarbon from the subsurface may help to meet these requirements. To put that in perspective, it is estimated that the amount of oil typically recovered from the subsurface is a mere 30 to 40 percent of discovered reserves. Increasing that rate by even one percent, for example, would mean an extra 60 billion barrels of reserves. For Thomas, the most interesting and challenging part of his job is to make interpretations about something far below his physical reach and miles below the ground based solely on indirect measurements of physics. Within those parameters he must then make predictions based on a limited amount of information. Thomas also has exhibited exceptional technical and leadership skills, heading up a one-week training course in production logging to 18 Schlumberger technical experts from around the world, and serving as a guest lecturer for two sessions at the Sultan Qaboos University in Oman. Also in Oman, he implemented environment internal office practices as leader of the Loss Prevention Team. Education
Bachelor of Technology, Petroleum Engineering, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, India, 2001
M.S. Petroleum Engineering, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, June 2008 (projected) « back |