The Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science recently invited some of North Texas’ most prominent women technical leads to campus to celebrate their achievements and inspire others.
On the panel “Celebrating the Future of Space and Aviation,” the group shared stories of overcoming obstacles and becoming leaders in their respective fields.
The panelists included:
Tracy D. Drain, the Deputy Chief Engineer for NASA’s JUNO mission to Jupiter; Lisa Atherton, President and Chief Executive Officer of Textron Systems; Tamara Y. Crawford, Systems Engineer and Associate Manager at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics; and Betsy Wilson, VP of the Project Management Center of Excellence in Ericsson Market Area North America, Networks.
The event was co-hosted with Galerstein Gender Center at UT Dallas.
The panelists (seated) from left to right: Tracy Drain, Lisa Atherton, Betsy Wilson, Tamara Y. Crawford. Standing behind the panelists are Dr. Poras Balsara, interim dean of the Jonsson School and Dr. Rashaunda Henderson, associate professor of electrical engineering.
The panelists had a little fun on stage before starting the event.
Tamara Y. Crawford met with UT Dallas students before taking the stage.
Lisa Atherton spent time speaking individually with attendees.
Lockheed Martin invited students to operate flight simulators prior to the Women in Engineering Panel.
Dr. Poras Balsara, interim dean of the Jonsson School, welcomed the audience, which included a number of area high school students.
Betsy Wilson shared more about herself on stage, including that she played guitar for Amy Grant and the Dixie Chicks.
Tracy Drain met with North Texas leaders and UT Dallas students, faculty and staff prior to the panel.
