THE INTERVIEW
Sheila Mariano
WHAT
Aerospace Engineer
WHERE
Renton, WA, USA
COMPANY
Federal Aviation Administration
WHAT DO YOU DO?
I work as an aerospace engineer. What that means is I am involved with airplane design, manufacturer developments and operating requirements. I work with companies such as Boeing* to put things on air flights, since plugins need certification to fit said operating requirements. I also test them and get the opportunity to fly in airplanes.
*Boeing: The world's largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners and defence, space and security systems. A top U.S. exporter, the company supports airlines and U.S. and allied government customers in 150 countries.
WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO PURSUE A CAREER IN THE S.T.E.M. FIELD?
When I was little, I always wanted to be a doctor, but medical school was a lot of money. An engineering degree took only 4 years, so I did that instead. In school, I particularly excelled in science and math. Then, I wanted to do satellite design for NASA, but when I was applying for different jobs, there was an opening at the Federal Aviation Administration and I took it. I started off as Junior Engineer, working with small airplanes and helicopters. With more experience as time progressed, I worked with bigger companies and manufacturers, and developed on-demand aircraft systems, which is much more sophisticated, and I consider myself very fortunate to have had that opportunity. This also got me interested, since I loved to do things that were exciting and new. The organization that I work for provides these types of opportunities.
HOW HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE BEEN SO FAR?
When I am in meetings, there are sometimes 50 men to 4 or 5 women research scientists, but the typical ratio is around 50:1. The women that do work in the industry have been great, they are very competent and it is highly enjoyable to work with them since we can feel confident together. Also, we can all connect with ease, since we share a commonality of being in such a male-dominated field. The situation was similar when I was in university, at the beginning all the engineers had common classes - so we were all lumped in with the chemical, electrical, and computer science engineers. In those rooms, there were about 20 female students and 200 male students. Actually, in my graduate class from the Illinois Institute of Technology of 1991 I was the only female aerospace engineer of about 50. My junior year started off with 3 girls, but 2 dropped out prior to graduation. I grew up with older brothers, so I am used to being surrounded by men. I would always try to help out since I was always curious. I have to say I like the challenge.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUNG CHILDREN (PARTICULARLY GIRLS) THAT WISH TO PURSUE S.T.E.M. CAREERS?
I definitely recommend it and cannot say enough good things about it. I have encountered opportunities that I never would have imagined, such as travelling, and working with other industries to break down barriers. Later in my career, the STEM industry gave me an opportunity to balance career with family life. I now have flexibility since I have specialized. When you specialize, you are wanted, and end up being able to make your own career and hours in order to shuffle family life.
Getting into it may seem intimidating, but I think it is a great opportunity, so long as you have a passion for it. Men in the past have had a different perspective of women in the field, but the valorization of equality leads them to develop respect. I believe that it is also important to have good mentors. Also, to find companies that hire other women. If the ratio is really low, or if there aren’t any women at all, you really have to think about it. The other women provide a certain support, which is important because having a lot of strong women give you an understanding of issues that you can learn from. I would definitely encourage participation in S.T.E.M. for anyone who is considering it.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU HAVE FACED OR ARE CURRENTLY FACING AS A WOMAN IN S.T.E.M.?
The biggest challenge is not trying to be lonely. Sometimes you feel like you are the only one trying to stick up for yourself, knowing you are right even when nobody else believes in you. So, you have to go deep within yourself to believe in what you know. It is very important to have a good self esteem and to keep reminding yourself that you are not alone, and there are other women out there. You have to keep feeling it, and be confident that you can compete with men at the same level. There shouldn’t be a sense of superiority on anyone’s behalf. There are also times when it can be tough, when your supervisors might not agree with your position. You just have to stick to your guns and walk away, because it is important to pick your battles.
HAVE YOU NOTICED THE NUMBER OF WOMEN IN YOUR INDUSTRY CHANGING AT ALL SINCE YOU STARTED WORKING IN IT?
The number of women have stayed about the same, and I don’t know why. I think part of it is when I got hired, there was a big push by management to hire women in the 90s. Nowadays I don’t see that push as much. Everybody is trying to compete for these jobs, and unfortunately sometimes a manager is more comfortable working with a male than a female, so they do not want to hire someone they’re not comfortable with. There aren’t many high level females in technical field that are part of hiring, probably because they do not want to be in management. I find males would often rather be in management than in the technical field. Although, I don’t think it’s because they’re actively not trying to hire women.
WHAT IS THE COOLEST OPPORTUNITY YOU HAVE HAD AS AN AEROSPACE ENGINEER?
A flight test tour through Mexico and South America that I took while I was the team lead on a project to first Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS). The purpose of this is to use aircraft position information to prevent CFIT (controlled flight into terrain) by warning pilots of incoming obstacles such as mountains or towers. It has been a game-changer in aviation, and we have not seen a large United States carrier fatality due to CFIT since the 1995 crash of an American Airlines Boeing 757-200 in Cali, Columbia. I certified the first supplemental type certification of the EGPWS on American Airlines Boeing 757-200 in Dallas, Texas, and shortly thereafter I got to go to cities and fly the aircraft to work the database, flying with 15 people on board the aircraft as an ambassador for the USA. We travelled the west coast of Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru and more. It was an incredible, one-of-a-kind, opportunity.
A special thank you to Sheila Mariano for taking time to speak with us.