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Women in Engineering
International Women in Engineering Day is celebrated on June 23 every year around the world to honor women in the field and spread awareness of the importance of women and their outstanding performance and achievements in engineering throughout the world.
Women in engineering have come a long way thanks to programs spreading awareness of the greatness of engineering as a career. Girls all over are introduced at a young age to the wonderful world of engineering, making sure that they know about the fantastic opportunities and careers that are available to all.
Martha Ventura, Vice President of Engineering and Operations at T Mobile.
How can we promote and celebrate Women in Engineering Day?
We can start by promoting and celebrating all the women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), like:
Bessie Blount Griffin, physical therapist (1914-2009); Ada Lovelace, first ever computer programmer (1815-1852); Florence Seibert, tuberculosis researcher (1897-1991); Mary Jackson, the first black female engineer (1921-2005); Marie Curie, first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only one winning two times (1867-1934); Nettie Stevens, discovered X and Y chromosomes (1861-1912); Susan McKinney-Steward, homeopathic and childhood disease physician (18471918); Florence Nightingale, inventor of modern nursing (1820-1910); Rosalind Franklin, DNA specialist (1920-1958) and Caroline Herschel, the first woman scientist to receive a salary (1750-1848).
Building on this list of amazing scientists and engineers, it is our honor to present to you a contemporary example of an accomplished Woman in Engineering: Martha Ventura, Vice President of Engineering and Operations at T-Mobile.
As a young girl, growing up in California with her mom and dad who immigrated to the United States from Michoacan, Mexico and Nicaragua, Martha thrived in math and science and dreamed of having a career in engineering. Overcoming a bit of discouragement from society and even her loved ones, she persisted and went after her dreams, eventually graduating from UCLA with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering.
Martha now has more than 30 years of telecommunications and wireless experience. Throughout her career, she worked in in various engineering disciplines and roles leading up to her engineering leadership role at T-Mobile.
T-Mobile is the leader in 5G, delivering the country’s largest, fastest and most awarded 5G network. Ookla’s Q1 2023 Speedtest Global Index Market Analysis United States report ranked T-Mobile’s network as the fastest provider in California and in 16 of California’s most populous cities including San Diego and Los Angeles.
Martha’s leadership skills have inspired teams – ranging from 10 to 300+ employees –to achieve business goals. She is an advocate for STEM, mentoring young women interested in growing their engineering careers. T-Mobile’s mentorship opportunities, that Martha and other leaders contribute to, help women advance in all stages of their career. For example, T-Mobile’s Returnship Program provides opportunities for women who’ve taken a professional career break to care for family members, raise children and/or for other personal reasons. The program helps people with employment gaps build skills and confidence to reenter the workforce.
Martha Ventura is not just an accomplished engineer, she is also a devoted wife, mother and dog mom. She is a role model for all women including Hispanic binational women that are trying to thrive in a STEM career, while at the same time, find balance in their lives for family, friends and hobbies. Martha wants people know that finding your way for a successful life can be done with passion and a love for your career path.
