Both professional and vocational engineering training are evolving to address skill gaps and workforce-readiness issues. Advancing communication technologies, the COVID-19 pandemic, and new digital-transformation approaches have forever changed the way technical training in manufacturing and automation is conducted. Now analytics tools can track training progress; adaptive learning can adjust curricula to offer personalized resources; and…

Design World recently released its special Engineering Diversity and Inclusion issue, a staff-driven evolution of our popular Women in Engineering issues that started in 2018. The editors of Design World are honored to bring you statistics and distilled information on this topic as well as inspiring stories about engineers of various ages, orientations, races and…

Despite recent skepticism over DEI initiatives in industry, there are solid reasons for its continuation and expansion on the straightforward basis of simple justice. Miles Budimir Senior Editor There has been a lot of buzz surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the U.S. recently, with most of it coming in the form of…

Recent years have seen small increases in STEM diversity with slightly more women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in the field than in the past. That’s according to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) of the National Science Foundation. Nearly a quarter of the U.S. workforce (34.9M people) is now employed in…

This profile will be featured in Design World’s upcoming Engineering Diversity & Inclusion issue. Solving problems first drew Laine Chan to engineering. As a young girl, she loved working on puzzles, playing with Lego blocks, and helping her dad assemble Ikea furniture. She also had a natural affinity for math and science, so engineering seemed…

Rachael Eustice, Procurement Manager, Cinch Connectivity Solutions Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management & Business Management, Minnesota State University I started my career in production in Waseca as a temporary employee while pursuing my two-year associate degree. I quickly learned the challenges of manufacturing and how it had tentacles into many aspects of what…

Casey Alvarado, Sr. Analog IC Design Engineer, Allegro MicroSystems Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering (BSEE) Imperial College, London (MSEE) Casey Alvarado is currently a Sr. Analog IC Design Engineer for the Magnetic Position Sensing team at Allegro MicroSystems. Casey is a graduate from Imperial College, London (MSEE) and Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering…

NW MN Chapter of Women in Electronics, DigiKey In 2018, under the stewardship of executive vice president of operations, Linda Johnson, DigiKey started a NW MN chapter of Women in Electronics (WE), a community of women in the electronics industry committed to working collaboratively with their male counterparts to advance opportunities for women in the…

Ronda Devereaux, Sales Engineer, Beckhoff Automation Associate of Science in Electronics Bachelor of Science in Electronic Engineering I started my career working at Autoliv, an airbag manufacturer, as an electronic technician in 1988. I had my AS in electronics and was the first woman they hired on the maintenance team. I started learning how to…

Alina Kim, Manufacturing Engineer, Bishop-Wisecarver Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, University of California San Diego Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Santa Clara University I graduated from UC San Diego with a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering and also went on to pursue my Master’s at Santa Clara University. I started off as a Test…

Alexandra Olson, Electronic Design Engineer, WAGO Corporation Computer Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison Alexandra Olson was hired at WAGO as an Electronic Design Engineer in July 2023 after earning her degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Wisconsin Madison. She works with WAGO’s Custom Design and Engineering Team helping developing specific products for customers and…

Linda A. Freeman, Industry Manager, Rockwell Automation Bachelor of Engineering, Electrical Georgia Institute of Technology Linda Freeman is an Industry Manager at Rockwell Automation in the global sales and marketing organization currently focused on digital transformation, robotics/automation, safety, and cybersecurity for the amusement, airport, and warehouse/logistics industries. Over her 27+ year career, Linda has worked…

Roberta Talarico Galeno Cavalcanti, Application Engineer, Mitsubishi Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Centro Universitário da FEI, Brazil Master of Business Administration in Marketing, Fundação Getulio Vargas, Brazil Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology — Automation and Robotics, Centennial College, Canada I graduated from Centro Universitário da FEI in Brazil as an Electrical Engineer and later received a…

Courtney Francis, Territory Account Manager, LEMO USA, Inc. Courtney Francis is an accomplished Regional Sales Manager with considerable experience in the sales industry and expertise in electronic and fiber optic connectors and cable assemblies. Having a background in auditing, training, and sales & marketing, Courtney has spent the last 6 years tailoring herself to one…

Kristen Gallett, Application Engineer, B&R Industrial Automation Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Purdue University Kristen Gallett joined B&R in 2019 after graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University. She is now an Application Engineer based out of the Chicago suburbs in Illinois. In this position, she supports several regional…

By Emma Lutjen, Associate Editor, EE World Eugina Jordan is on a mission to bring women to the telecom stage, figuratively and literally. One of the most valuable skills is the capacity to be inspired or to inspire others — Eugina Jordan, currently chief marketing officer at Telecom Infra Project (TIP), has the unique ability…

Rachel Luczak, Application Engineer, B&R Industrial Automation Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering Milwaukee School of Engineering I am an Application Engineer working in the Milwaukee Office for B&R Industrial Automation. I work with customers in the US Central Region on projects ranging from paper converting, to machine line tending, to rock crushing. I have…

Norberta Lu started disassembling and rebuilding things at an early age. Today, she uses her skills to improve how things work. By Martin Rowe, Senior Technical Editor, EE World “I like to destroy things and rebuild them,” said Zhuofan (Norberta) Lu. Spoken like a true engineer. After all, who doesn’t like taking things apart? Currently…

United States Air Force colonel and NASA astronaut Eileen Collins is the first woman to pilot and command a space shuttle mission. She launched her illustrious career under a glass ceiling, navigating destiny with focus and determination. “I did not know what an engineer was when I was in high school,” said Collins. “Back in…

Discovery Education, the Caterpillar Foundation, and Learning Undefeated today announced the launch of a new education initiative — Innovation at Play. This unique program leverages the power of play by using engaging, hands-on digital resources to educate and inspire students in grades 9-12 to consider exciting careers in a variety of STEM professions. Innovation at…

As a child, Antoinette Gant didn’t dream about a career in engineering or the military — she wanted to be an actress. Gant was part of a theater group in school, and that seemed like the perfect career to her, something in the theater arts. But her parents’ careers and influence showed her a different…

Yejee Choi, Test Engineer, Allegro MicroSystems Electrical and computer engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Yejee Choi is currently a test engineer at Allegro MicroSystems. She was raised in Korea until the age of 14 when her family relocated to Ghana. Upon high school graduation, Yejee decided to come to the United States where she studied…

Or Yacobi, Product Portfolio Manager, Allied Electronics and Automation MS in Quality and Engineering Management from Tarleton State University. Talk about the culture at your company. What makes it inclusive and supportive of women in engineering and automation? The culture at Allied is diverse and transparent. It shows that leadership team prioritizes diversity and inclusion,…

Brittany Langston, Product Manager – North America, B&R Industrial Automation BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Florida Brittany Langston is a North America Product Manager at B&R for a handful of technologies, primarily related to software. Her purpose in this role is to improve the success and acceptance of these products within North…

Apurva Deota, Technical Sales Representative, B&R Industrial Automation, Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering (Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada) Apurva is an Electrical Engineer working in the Technical Sales Team at B&R since August 2022 where she has had the exciting opportunity of working with OEMs in various industries like plastics, packaging, automotive,…