Gwynne Shotwell TECHNOLOGIES

STEMforWomen M A G A N E Gwynne Shotwell Pedal to the Metal for Sonal Ramrakhiani TATA TECHNOLOGIES NURSING Choices, choices, choices \\024v February 2018 February ENGINEERING Jennifer McInnis Assistant Professor A BETTER (Mechanical Engineering) FUTURE At SNHU, we’ve set out to build the next generation of STEM leaders. We do it by offering cutting edge resources, state-of-the-art facilities, and experienced faculty. Our all-star team of professors and faculty members have just one goal: to give you the best STEM education possible. Take Jennifer McInnis, for example. Jennifer is an assistant professor in the Mechanical Engineering department at SNHU. She joined SNHU after teaching at Daniel Webster College and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, bringing with her a wealth of engineering experience including time as a manufacturing engineering technician with UltraSource, Inc. She hopes to put her experience to work education the engineers and STEM leaders of tomorrow! Aeronautical Engineering | Air Traffic Management | Aviation Management | Computer Science Construction Management | Electrical and Computer Engineering | Mechanical Engineering Meet our faculty for yourself! Visit the SNHU campus today. snhu.edu | [email protected] | 603-645-9611 To understand STEM... ...you must DEFINE STEM, but you cannot define an acronym using the words it stands for; you must define the words the acronym stands for. Science: “The systematic accumulation of knowledge” (all subjects and careers) Technology: “The practical application of science” (all subjects and careers) Engineering: “The engineering method: a step by step process of solving problems and making decisions” (every subject and career) Math: “The science of numbers and their operations, interrelations, combina- tions, generalizations, and abstractions” (every career will use some form[s]) For a moment, set aside any precon- As an example, according to the ceived notions of what you think a Department of Labor, there is a huge STEM career is and use the above shortage in the U.S. of - dictionary definitions to determine the skills used in any career field you Nurses choose. Did you know nursing was a STEM These definitions are the “real” mean- career? ing of STEM skills and STEM careers. An Engineer / by Wayne Carley Sonal Ramrakhiani / by Publisher Nursing...a STEM Career / by R.R. Jenkins Adolescents & Smart Phones / by Richard Freed Top7 YouTube STEM Channels Woman Auto Mechanic Every Woman is a STEM Woman STEM for Women Magazine strives to STEM for Women Magazine is seek- encourage and support every effort to engage girls and young women grades ing* a new national proprietor. K-16 to become and remain curious Consider having your own global about science, technology, engineering and math. magazine to address the women’s issues that are most important As women in these fields continue to to you. This magazine would also inspire and innovate, more opportunities present themselves for women make a great admissions outreach to take the lead, both on the local level tool nation wide. and within global corporations. STEM for Women Magazine presents For more information about making the worlds finest authors, many of this “your own”, contact the whom are professional women in publisher at: STEM careers, to inform and inspire. Gender is not a factor in innovation or imagination. [email protected] Let us show our young women the way and provide any needed confidence to achieve the dreams they once thought were unattainable. Wayne Carley Publisher [email protected] 478.319.7177 The most powerful rocket in use today relies on a powerful woman President. Gwynn Shotwell - President and COO, No doubt you witnessed the recent leader in space technology and launch of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy exploration... rocket; a spectacular success in rock- etry innovation and technology. At the throttle is an American business woman, responsible for day-to-day operations As of 2016, she is listed as the 76th and company growth of the world most powerful woman on Earth. In 2002 Shotwell joined SpaceX, the solving STEM degree. private, commercial, space exploration company founded by Elon Musk in Shotwell would like to see more women the same year. She was its seventh em- enter the mechanical engineering field, ployee, with the role of vice president so let’s discuss some specific areas of business development and she has a included in mechanical engineering seat on the SpaceX board of directors. which is comprised of dozens of differ- The company builds the Falcon vehicle ence career opportunities. family which has launched almost 50 times representing nearly $5 billion As one of the oldest engineering disci- in revenue. Shotwell is now President plines, Mechanical Engineering applies and COO of SpaceX, responsible for the engineering method, physics, and day-to-day operations and managing materials science principles to design, all customer and strategic relations to analyze, manufacture, and maintain support company growth. mechanical systems. Famed for its innovation and disrup- The mechanical engineering field tion of an entire industry, SpaceX requires an understanding of core became the first private company to areas including mechanics, dynamics, successfully launch, orbit, and recover thermodynamics, materials science, a spacecraft. It also has a multi-billion structural analysis, and electricity. In dollar contract with NASA to deliver addition to these core principles, me- astronauts to the International Space chanical engineers use tools such as Station (ISS). SpaceX is also working computer-aided design (CAD), and on a next-generation transportation product life cycle management to system to take people to Mars in the design and analyze manufacturing near future. plants, industrial equipment and machinery, heating and cooling systems, Keeping the thousands of moving transport systems, aircraft, watercraft, SpaceX parts flowing productively is a robotics, medical devices, weapons, huge responsibility and requires and others. It is the branch of engineer- tremendous “people skills” along with ing that involves the design, produc- foresight, organization, planning, tion, and operation of machinery. implementation and problem solving. Speaking of problem solving, it’s very As you can see, a wide variety of ca- helpful that she has a degree in reers are included in mechanical engi- mechanical engineering....a problem neering well beyond space applications. In the 18th century, Mechanical Engi- l Basic physical sciences (including neering emerged as a field during the physics and chemistry) Industrial Revolution in Europe and can be traced back several thousand l Strength of materials and solid years around the world. In the 19th mechanics century, developments in physics (the branch of science concerned with the l Materials Engineering, Composites nature and properties of matter and energy) led to the development of l Thermodynamics, heat transfer, mechanical engineering science. energy conversion, and HVAC (your heating and air conditioning employees The field has continually evolved to learned this) incorporate advancements such as composites, mechatronics, and nano- l Fuels, combustion, internal com- technology. It also overlaps with aero- bustion engine (auto mechanics has to space engineering, metallurgical en- learn this) gineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, manufacturing engineer- l Instrumentation and measurement ing, chemical engineering, industrial engineering, and other engineering l Manufacturing engineering, tech- disciplines to varying amounts. nology, or processes Mechanical engineers may also work l Hydraulics, and pneumatics (this is in the field of biomedical engineering, fun and I think rather easy) specifically with biomechanics, transport phenomena, bio-mechatronics, l Mechatronics, and robotics (these bio-nanotechnology, and modeling of are rather new area and very interest- biological systems. ing) Coursework l Drafting, computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufac- The fundamental subjects of mechani- turing (CAM). (Architects, furniture cal engineering usually include: designers and food manufacturers are a few professions that use this) l Mathematics (in particular, calcu- lus, differential equations, and linear algebra) While Shotwell has always acted as a temper to balance Elon Musk’s extraor- dinary willingness to accept risks in the pursuit of non-traditional solutions or goals, she noted that, “I have learned over my 15 years of working with him to not bet against him and not question whether something can be done”. This essential “balance” between a powerful man and powerful woman will be necessary along SpaceX’s path to Mars, and the Musk-Shotwell duo encourage significant optimism that SpaceX will continue to succeed. Musk could not have found a more perfect person to help lead SpaceX, and Shot- well will almost certainly continue to work miracles as she works to ensure that SpaceX achieves its lofty ambitions. ___________________________ This is what women can bring to the equation of any industry. By the very nature of how men and women are constructed emotionally, mentally, and intellectually, this balance in partner- ship, leadership and cooperation is a positive asset that should never be ignored. TATA TECHNOLOGIES Q&A with Sonal Ramrakhiani Chief Operating Officer – Americas When do you remember being influenced toward technology? I have always viewed technology as a pervasive part of life, from my personal

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