2009 Women of Color Award Winners
COMMUNITY SERVICE
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Melissa Sandlin
Commander Alicia Garcia
Manager, Talent Management
Vantran, MD
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Senior Medical Officer, Medical Services
Department
BSc – mechanical engineering, University US Coast Guard
of Illinois
MSc – mechanical engineering, Georgia
BSc – biology, University of Puerto Rico
Institute of Technology
MD - Universidad de Navarra, Spain
The 1992 summer at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Alicia Garcia Vantran heals the
must have been a special time, especially for a girl in her ju-
sick, tends to the poor and
nior year of high school. And it is to this JETS/MITE (Junior En-
ensures that those in need get
gineering Technical Society/Minority Introduction to Engineer-
care. She also sticks to one
ing) camp that Melissa Sandlin credits for shaping her career
philosophy: Everyone has the ability to make
path and her drive for nurturing engineers of tomorrow.
a difference. The commander’s own life story bears witness.
That memory still challenges her with the old inquiry, ‘Life’s
Born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, she majored in biology at the
most persistent and urgent question is, What are you do-
University of Puerto Rico and graduated in 1985. Then, she
ing for others?’ And she has answered with action. Within
attended medical school at Universidad de Navarra in Pamplo-
Northrop Grumman, where focus on outreach is a valued and
na, Spain. She graduated in 1992, and completed a residency
critical attribute, Sandlin’s work ethic and technical capability
in family practice at the Hospital San Pablo, Bayamon, Puerto
have distinguished her as a leader.
Rico, fi nishing in 1998.
She has contributed signifi cantly to cost reduction of the Joint
A year later, Dr. Garcia Vantran joined the Public Service
Strike Fighter Transmit/ Receive Module production. Sand-
Commissioned Offi cer Corps, and was assigned to work at
lin completed a Six Sigma green project that examined the
the Coast Guard Training Center in Cape May, NJ. There, she
environmental coating protection material and processing.
organized several health fairs targeted at promoting wellness
As a result of the project, Northrop Grumman stands to save
in the community. She also participated in the annual Adopt-
over $1 million in reduced labor and material costs over the
a-Family drive—a Coast Guard headquarters program that
next 4 years, and another $1M savings in capital expenditure
provides food and clothing to urban, at-risk children and their
savings.
families during the holidays.
For several years, Sandlin has volunteered to organize pro-
Since 2005, Cmdr. Vantran has worked as a fl ight surgeon,
grams designed to promote and celebrate the contributions
performing pre-fl ight physical examinations on pilots and
of the fi rm’s engineers. She is also involved in NG-sponsored
fl ight-school candidates, crewmembers and crew candi-
outreach activities that engage high school and elementary
dates. She also performs wellness tests for active duty service
students in hands-on math and science activities. Sandlin
members. While deployed on the Cutter Eagle—the historic
oversees the Baltimore area Worthwhile to Help High School
training ship preparing future Coast Guard offi cers, Vantran
Youth program, which gives Baltimore city students opportu-
organized a team of doctors to aid 200 medically underserved
nity to work at Northrop Grumman one day per month. Now
Dominicans and Haitians living in unhealthy conditions in
in its eleventh year, WORTHY teams Electronic Systems sector
Santa Domingo.
employees with high school students to help them pursue
For almost a decade, Cmdr. Vantran has mentored health ser-
their dreams of taking up technical careers.
vice professionals, and worked with the Indian Health Services
As a volunteer in the DiscoverE program, she visits schools in
Ceremony, Department of Health and Human Services, Food
Baltimore city and the surrounding counties with hands-on,
and Drug Administration, and Social Security Administration
science related classroom projects and activities.
to improve health services to underserved populations.
Since she joined the Northrop Grumman community as a
She is an active participant in the Coast Guard’s special
manufacturing process engineer more than fi ve years ago,
emphasis program, designed to promote diversity and raise
Sandlin’s work has earned recognition, but she is the fi rst to
cultural awareness and to assist in the retention and advance-
admit that she did not get there on her own.
ment of minorities, women, and people with disabilities. She
also is a member of the Coast Guard’s Hispanic, African Ameri-
Mentors and coaches played a vital role in opening her eyes
can, Native American and Asian American equal employment
to a world of possibilities. Sandlin is readily paying it forward
opportunity (EEO) programs. She’s a doctor whose concern
by introducing engineering as a career to third, fourth and
for patient care goes far beyond the medical center’s walls.
fi fth graders. She feels that exposure to STEM careers mo-
tivates young people to strive for the education they need
to get there. Sandlin is responsible for talent management
programs supporting engineering, logistics and operations
homerooms in the electronic system sector.
26 WOMENOFCOLOR | FALL 2009
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