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Encoder Products Company - Sarah Walter GE Digital - Sowjanya Chalamkuri, Kristen Sanderson ............................... 167/168
2021 Women in Engineering
Sarah Walter
Applications Engineer Encoder Products Company
M.S. Electrical Engineering – University of Colorado, Boulder
B.S. Electrical Engineering – University of Portland
What fi rst drew you to engineering? / When did you fi rst know you wanted to be an engineer?
I grew up in rural Idaho and I was recruited to the University of Portland for a golf scholarship. Growing up, I’d always been a tinkerer; I loved to take things apart, fi gure out how they worked, and fi x them. When I was choosing my major, it was between art and engineering, but I wanted to pursue a stable career, so I chose engineering. I enjoyed my undergrad experience so much, I decided to pursue a master’s degree in a more specialized area of electrical engineering. Also, since I graduated at a time when there was an economic dip, I knew I wasn’t going to miss out on any professional opportunities. I was accepted to several graduate programs, but I chose the University of Colorado, Boulder, where I pursued a degree in a combined program with electrical engineering and physics. I learned the fundamentals of optics and lasers, and how to build table-top optical test environments, with my work done in single wavelength applications. Many of my fellow students were working on their PhDs, but I was pursuing a shorter track to achieve a master’s degree and join the commercial working world. Working alongside a variety of students, however, was a valuable experience to learn about different types of research and cutting-edge science and technology.
Talk about the culture at your company. What makes it inclusive or supportive of women in engineering and automation?
My department is inclusive of women and I and my female colleagues are treated as equals with our male colleagues. Our input is considered and valued, and there is a defi nite sense of teamwork among the entire engineering group. Right now, my job is focused on customers’ applications, helping companies fi nd the right encoder for their unique applications where a standard off-the-shelf encoder doesn’t work for them.
Describe your biggest engineering challenge. How did you conquer it or resolve it, or what was the outcome?
My biggest career challenge is helping customers who need custom solutions. There are so many different considerations when designing industrial automation applications, often the customers aren’t sure exactly what they’re looking for in a motion feedback device. I have to pull back from an encoder view of the application to get an eagle-eye view. For instance, if a customer tells me, “We need labels applied to bottles,” I need to understand when in the process those labels are applied, and I need the specs on the application--how fast the conveyor belt is moving, how large the bottles are, what the speed of the application is, will the encoder be subject to washdown, extreme environments, etc., to determine what the best encoder solution is. It’s incredibly satisfying to get the “weird calls” and fi nd those customers the encoder that is going to provide reliable motion feedback, day in, day out. That’s why I enjoy my job so much--I get to help fellow engineers solve problems.
For the rest of Sarah Walter’s insights, visit www.designworldonline.com/WiE.
2021 Women in Engineering
Sowjanya Chalamkuri
BS Tech Electronics & Communication, Jawaharial Nehru Technological University
What fi rst drew you to engineering? / When did you fi rst know you wanted to be an engineer?
My fi rst thought of pursuing engineering came when I was in high school where I started developing an interest in Math and Science. This refl ected in my academics and I was performing quite well. I knew that I was going to do something good in these subjects when my high school Mathematics teacher challenged the class to solve a complex math problem – I was the only person who raised a hand and she called on me to solve the problem on the board. I was a shy girl, and it drew all my courage to stand in front of everyone to solve the problem with a very detailed explanation. That was the start; I had many more instances like that which built my self-confi dence, and I became a goto-person for my classmates in these subjects. It was also nice to hear that I was now the topic of discussion in teachers’ staff meetings. I then became engaged in technical seminars and science fairs which motivated and strengthened my aspiration to pursue STEM.
Give us an example of your involvement in: a design project, a product launch, the development of a new technology, or the adoption of a new technology or process.
There are quite a few challenging and exciting programs that enabled me to take risks and play out of my comfort zones. However, working with talented technology teams has made it even more enriching. One program was leading the development of the market’s fi rst multi-modal manufacturing software product which enables discrete, process and multi-modal manufacturers to turn real-time, mission-critical production data into actionable insights. There were a lot of fi rsts in this product development which drove new technology adoption to re-envision a modernized user experience. We designed a scalable architecture, a new deployment model, and drove innovation with new differentiated capabilities. This product has been recognized for excellence in Continuous Processing Manufacturing by noted industry analysts. It was a proud moment for the team.
Describe your biggest engineering challenge. How did you conquer it or resolve it, or what was the outcome?
The most recent engineering challenge for one of our products was improving the ease of deployment for one of our most widely used products. We did a Kaizen workout and came up with key performance metrics to measure the deployment experience. We made incredible progress by reducing the deployment time by 90% and making the process simpler and intuitive.
2021 Women in Engineering
Kristen Sanderson
What fi rst drew you to engineering?
I had many interests growing up. I loved math and English and considered marketing, journalism, and architecture as career options. When I was a senior in high school, my Dad, who is a software engineer, encouraged me to take a programming class as an elective. That class opened my eyes to a brand new world of structured logic and set me on my path to Engineering. As my career has progressed, I have found ways to incorporate my other interests.
BS Computer Science & Mathematics, Auburn University
Were there any infl uential engineers (women or men) who helped shape your decision to become an engineer? If so, who and why?
My main inspiration was my Dad. He inspired and encouraged me to enter this fi eld. Both of my parents always told me that I could do anything I set my mind to and then they encouraged me to reach for the stars. One woman engineer I really look up to is Grace Hopper. As a pioneer in software, she created the compiler and COBOL language. She was a strong woman leader who was candid and biased to action…exactly what I want to be. Since I started my career, I look for inspiration from everyone around me. I feel strongly that there are things for us to learn from each person in our lives. I observe those around me looking for things I can learn to do to become a better person and leader.
What barriers do women face in today’s engineering world, if any?
There are still too many situations where I am the only or one of few women in the room. I am very happy to say I don’t fi nd this in my business unit, but I still see it plenty as I work within the industry. Unfortunately, when that happens, too many women decide not to stick around, creating an even bigger gap. Globally, there are still too many areas where women are not encouraged to study STEM subjects or pursue STEM careers. They are discouraged from leadership roles. This is one of the areas I feel passionate about. As a leader in Engineering, I am a role model. I have and continue to focus on building a pipeline of young women in STEM through GE Girls, a GE sponsored program designed to encourage girls to explore STEM careers, and speaking both internally and externally with women. I mentor and am mentored by women. We have to keep building each other up.
