2008 Women of Color Honorees
Student Leadership Technical Innovation
Elizabeth O. Otenaike Kathy C. Chuang
Software Product Manager Chemical Engineer
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company NASA Glenn Research Center
Doctor of Psychology Candidate, Argosy University BS-Chemistry, Tunghai University, Taiwan
BS-Computer Science, University of North Texas MS-Organic Chemistry, Ohio State University
MA-Education, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary PhD-Polymer Science, University of Akron
MA-Counseling, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary,
Helping make lightweight space-
“Others measure management effectiveness looking at a
craft with heat resistance is the
budget and schedule, I measure it by how motivated and en-
mission of Kathy C. Chuang. Over
gaged my team is,” says Elizabeth Otenaike, software product
her 17-year career, she has had a
manager, “because we will produce products on time and
significant impact on the aero-
within budget when we are motivated.”
space and materials community
Otenaike served as a software prod-
through her research on improv-
uct engineer on the F-35 Joint Strike
ing the process, performance,
Fighter team and manages projects.
and stability of high temperature
A 2009 doctoral candidate in clinical
polymers and fiber-reinforced
psychology, her research aligns with
composites.
Lockheed’s diversity and inclusion
“I am trying to make lightweight
strategy. Working through Lockheed’s
composites that can replace
executive diversity council and orga-
metal. The way I approach that is by manufacturing a new
nization she has supported the linking
resin that has low melt capacity and can be processed by a
of diversty councils.
low cost resin transfer technique,” Chuang says.
Originally from Nigeria, Otenaike contributes to non-profit
What’s next? People will notice non-symmetrical monomers
organizations dedicated to African literacy, serving as vice
in about five years as they produce new materials and pro-
president of the group, Wings of Dawn (WOD), which has
vide a breakthrough in polyimide, she says.
distributed more than 300,000 books and school materials to
Nigeria, Gambia, and Mozambique. She is also instrumental
Chuang decided to pursue a PhD when her husband took a
in developing WOD’s Adopt-a- School program, which fosters
job at the University of Akron. “The school has a good poly-
relationships and partnerships between elementary schools
mer science program,” she explains.
in the United States and Africa.
The biggest challenge is weighing price versus performance.
“Whether it is an engineer, a leader, a child or teen, I want to
“They look at the price of materials we are developing and
leave people feeling better about themselves, about who they
say it is expensive compared to aluminium,” she says. “It is
are, and what they do,” Otenaike says.
a chicken and egg dilemma. You need to have lots of people
use it in order for it to be cheap, but in order for it to be
cheap you have to produce it.”
Technical Innovation
Kimberly Davis
Principal Systems Engineer
LRAS3 Product Line-Product Engineer
Network Centric Systems
Raytheon Company
BS–Computer Science, University of Alabama
An American soldier in Iraq is on night reconnaissance. As he travels through hostile territory, electro-
optic sensors enable him to detect enemies. Such devices are essential for war-fighters in desert and
urban warfare environments.
Kimberly Davis takes pride in her role in developing Raytheon technologies like electro-optic sensors,
as well as other military applications. “My job helps the end-user, the American soldier, accomplish
missions safely in the war theater,” she says.
Software plays an important role in the development of many products, Davis says. “When I started as a software engineer in
the mid-90s,” she recalls, “the field was not as valued as it is today.”
Davis is doing her part to spread the word to female middle- and high-school students that engineering is full of opportunities.
Through Raytheon community outreach programs and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Davis encourages young women to
“love science, technology, engineering, and math. “They are exciting fields, she says.”
36 WOMENOFCOLOR | FALL 2008 www.womenofcolor.net
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