Focus on the Human Element
PEROT SYSTEMS CORPORATION
PASHON MANN
Recruiting Director
Perot Systems Government Services
BS–Psychology, Morgan State University
MS–Industrial Organizational Psychology,
Rensselear Polytechnic Institute
PaShon Mann was sure of one thing
as a high school junior, when she
was asked to design a crib. It was
a university-recruiting program,
and she was interested in technol-
ogy. “Everyone else focused on the
Moon, Mars, and Beyond
configuration,” she recalls, “I cre- Life Is Like a Triangle
NASA ated babies for the crib; and we won
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS
ELLEN OCHOA, PHD
because of the people.”
DUY-LOAN LE
Deputy Director
Mann’s focus is still the human ele-
Digital Signal Processor Advanced
Johnson Space Center ment. “I contribute to the success Technology Ramp Manager
BS–Physics, San Diego State University of the company by hiring the right BS–Electrical Engineering, University of
MS, PhD–Electrical Engineering, Stanford
people,” she says.
Texas, MBA, University of Houston
University
When Ellen Ochoa was 11, she
Understanding how Perot Systems,
Duy-Loan (pronounced Zee-Lon) Le
watched the first man set foot on
a $2.3 billion IT services firm, makes
joined TI when she was 19. Over a 26-
the moon, but never imagined she’d
money has made Mann successful.
year career, she earned 22 patents and
rocket into orbit.
She manages a recruiting organiza-
became the first female Senior Fellow
tion that grew from 2,200-3,500 em-
in TI history
In the early 1980s, NASA was ac-
ployees and went from $300 to $600
Le fixes productivity inefficiencies,
cepting applications for an astronaut
million in revenues.
helps groups collaborate, and leads
class. “I was planning to become a
research engineer,” she says, “but
Outside of Perot, Mann, 37, has been
innovative product development. En-
NASA was starting to fly spacelab
involved in INROADS—a program
gineering is vast, she says, it touches
research modules on board shuttles,
that trains ands places minority stu-
all aspects of our lives and gives us
and I thought ‘Wow! What a unique
dents in corporate internships. Mann
the flexibility to make a huge differ-
laboratory in which to do research.”
also teaches. Recently, she created
ence.
a mock interview for her daughter’s
She recognizes barriers exist and has
Ochoa first applied in 1985 and
class, who had to pick out 10 things
responded by starting mentoring and
became the first Latina astronaut in
that were done wrong.
professional development programs.
1991. Since then, she has logged
over 978 hours in space on four
“I have been doing this since the
She also works with MONA, a foun-
flights. On each, she controlled the
early ‘90s,” she says. Back then, you
dation enaging in international devel-
robotic arm to move crew members
had resumes of people who had
opment projects, and co-founded the
around outside the Space Station,
stayed at a company for 10 or more
Sunflower Mission, which assists chil-
shift large pieces of equipment, and
years. Nowadays, by the age of
dren in the poorest areas of Vietnam,
deploy and retrieve satellites.
34, the average IT person will have
where Le was born.
already held 10 jobs.
Le, the 2002 Technologist of the Year,
Today, Ochoa’s responsibilities
compares life to a triangle. Because
include managing a combined 13,300
“it’s the most stable geometric
civil servants and contractors sup-
shape,” she explains. “The bottom
porting the space center’s work.
is the foundation, family and friends.
Since 1961, the center has designed,
On the left is career and profession,
developed, and tested spacecraft and
and on the right is civic leadership,”
human space flight.
she says. “All three sides are touch-
Ochoa is focused on flying shuttles
ing, and in the middle is me. You
safely until the [fleet] retires in 2010,
only have one life to live, live it in the
“Then, we’ll be operating the Space
most meaningful way, “ she says. Le
Station to help prepare for trips
has been married for 25 years to a
beyond low Earth orbit to the moon,
mechanical engineer and the couple
Mars, and beyond,” she says.
have two sons.
www.womenofcolor.net WOMENOFCOLOR | FALL 2008 17
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