2009 Women of Color Award Winners
CORPORATE PROMOTION OF CORPORATE PROMOTION
EDUCATION OF EDUCATION
Angela Leimkuhler Moran, PhD
Margaret Paulin
Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering
College Campus Relations Manager
Department of the Navy
Northrop Grumman Corporation
US Naval Academy
BA – English, CSU Bakersfield
BSc –physics and engineering, Loyola College
MA – education administration, CSU Bakersfield
MSE – materials science and engineering,
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
PhD – materials science and engineering,
Johns Hopkins University
At the National Society of Black Engineers’ 2009 Conference
career fair, a third-year engineering student stopped at the
Northrop Grumman booth looking for Margaret Paulin. She
Thirty-four. That’s how many honors and awards Professor Mo-
had stepped away, so the student told why she had come by.
ran has received for her demonstrated commitment to STEM
A few years ago, Paulin had made a presentation on engineer-
education. The list of her accomplishments in STEM service,
ing career opportunities at the student’s high school. Paulin’s
teaching and research runs from a 1997 “Engineering Medal
message had motivated the young Hispanic female student to
for Excellence” to a recent award for being the “First Woman
pursue engineering, and she just wanted to say “thanks.”
to Achieve Tenure at the US Naval Academy.”
Whether she is speaking with and encouraging students, lead-
Through the years, she has merged programs aimed at attract-
ing a human-resources strategy or a talent-acquisition program
ing young people to engineering and science careers into a
involving education and outreach, Paulin’s impact has been
centralized response—in a bid to increase the number of STEM
profound since she began her career in 1975.
majors at the Naval Academy, and she has worked with youth
groups to provide interactive programs and make sure they After nearly a decade in HR, housing, and student programs at
had enough Science Fair judges. her alma mater, California State University at Bakersfi eld, she
planned on getting a PhD in education, but her career took
Since 1995, Professor Moran has coordinated the science
another turn. In 1984, she landed a job in the educational sup-
and engineering apprentice program at the Offi ce of Naval
port and administration department in Northrop’s B-2 division,
Research, matching mentors with student apprentices. From
but she could not get fully engaged until her security clearance
2005, she has developed and taught courses in physics, de-
came in.
sign, engineering and robotics for middle-school girls and
boys in Anne Arundel County, MD. To fi ll the time, Paulin worked as a substitute math teacher. It
was her fi rst experience of meeting students with great needs
She created and directed the annual Naval Academy Technol-
and no role models. When Paulin’s clearance came through at
ogy Camp for Girls in 2006. Each camp includes design com-
Northrop, she had to give up the teaching job in a Los Angeles
petitions, hands-on activities, laboratory tours, and networking
school, but the experience with her students remained close to
with professional engineers and scientists.
her heart.
Professor Moran has also served as a camp director for week-
Today, Paulin has an ideal match of passion and possibilities.
long STEM camps since 2007, incorporating project-based
She chairs a MESA-sponsored minority recruitment drive to
activities developed in collaboration with other faculty. In the
establish a scholarship and fellowship program for underrep-
fi rst year, she obtained funding for faculty salaries from the
resented students It worked for Northrop, too — successful
Naval Academy Foundation. The National Defense Education
candidates could be cultivated into leaders in stealth technolo-
program will provide this year’s funding. She also has obtained
gy. Several graduates Paulin helped through the program have
$240,000 from the Naval Sea Systems Command and in-kind
gone on to become managers and chief engineers.
donations from the Maryland Space Grant Consortium.
In 2003, Paulin spearheaded an annual student workshop that
Recently, Professor Moran initiated a STEM minority group
brings together chapter leaders from organizations such as
study program. To date, her research interactions have
American Indian Science and Engineering Society, Mexican
included 41 independent Midshipmen projects, four Trident
Americans in Engineering and Science, NSBE, SHPE and SWE.
Scholars and three Bowman Scholars. The program’s purpose
The program now covers eight schools with more than 100
is to support the Academy’s mission by fostering a productive
student leaders and has received support from the California
study environment for students enrolled in traditionally diffi cult
state-wide MESA organization and 12 other employers.
courses.
Paulin leads a team responsible for fostering and maintaining
Professor Moran co-chairs the STEM committee, which aims
relationships with assigned universities and administers the
to attract and retain diverse science and engineering majors
“One Northrop Grumman University Relations and Recruiting”
at the Academy. She also provides support for early-career
model.
faculty, facilitating the development of high-impact research
programs. She acts as a mentor to junior faculty, permanent
military professors and the engineering and weapons division.
www.womenofcolor.net WOMENOFCOLOR | FALL 2009 29
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