2009 Women of Color Award Winners
PROFESSIONAL PROFESSIONAL
ACHIEVEMENT – Industry ACHIEVEMENT - Industry
Yvette Thornton Susan X. Ying, PhD
Towson Engineering Center Manager Executive Program Integrator
Network Centric Systems Phantom Works
Raytheon Company The Boeing Company
BSc – mechanical engineering, Auburn BSc – mechanical and aerospace
University, Alabama engineering, Cornell University
MSc – mechanical engineering, Auburn MSc – astronautics, Stanford University
University, Alabama PhD – aeronautics, Stanford University
Yvette Thornton learned early in life she could achieve great
Flying had been Susan Ying’s
things by working hard and never giving up. She had her fi rst
dream since childhood in the South Pacifi c. “I just had to
lesson in perseverance in elementary school, when she was
know how those great machines could fl y,” she recalls. On
determined to read more books than any other student to
one occasion “a woman next to me on the airplane said that
win her fi rst-grade reading contest. She won. Fast forward to
the cockpit was a place for little boys, not little girls.” But
1996; with master’s degree fresh in hand, Thornton joined
rather than discouraging Ying, it made the whole thing
Raytheon as a missile guidance and control systems engineer.
even more exciting.
Over a span of 13 years, she has shown willingness to relocate,
She would go on to pursue the ultimate in piloting: explora-
support continuous learning, and take on stretch assignments.
tion of Space. However, during physical examination as part
This approach has been key to her success as she balances
of the astronaut screening process, NASA doctors detected
work and family life with her husband and two young
cancer and Ying was compelled to leave the program. Al-
children.
though she recovered from the disease, the let down came on
After her initial assignments, she was nominated by the VP of
the heels of another setback. “I applied to the program after
engineering to take part in a two-year pilot. The fi rst class in
losing my home in a fl ood,” she says.
the engineering leadership development program (ELDP)—a
Before joining McDonnell Douglas, acquired by Boeing in
mix of training and development in leadership and business
1995, she taught at Stanford, Iowa State, and Florida State
execution topics, exposure to senior leadership and rotational
Universities. She also directed research in the Department of
assignments—was selected for their proven leadership and
Energy Supercomputer Computations Research Lab and at the
potential for moving Raytheon forward. From there, Thornton
Ames Research Center, where she earned a spot as a NASA
has held positions of increasing responsibility, rotating through
Astronaut candidate fi nalist.
Raytheon sites and businesses.
When Ying fi rst joined Boeing in the advanced transport
In 2001, she was assigned to missile systems. Her assignments
aircraft group, she was able to quickly form an integrated
at RMS included lead system engineer for the Army Excalibur
government-industry team to solve an aerodynamics problem
development program—a 155-mm guided munitions. Thorn-
– high lift. She continues to lead teams in tackling high-risk
ton was a leader in the design, development and deployment
R&D projects resulting in technology transitions to products
of Excalibur in record time, saving the lives of warfi ghters
and services with signifi cant value to Boeing and its customers.
and innocent people caught in the Iraq confl ict. Excalibur
was re-cently named as one of the Top 10 Inventions by
Currently, she is the director of the networked systems
Time magazine.
technology organization, a team that comprises more than
300 world-renowned scientists and engineers. Under her
While at missile systems, Thornton also achieved other profes-
leadership, the team has developed and implemented several
sional development milestones: YWCA Women’s Leadership,
discriminating systems for Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner program.
Raytheon project management certifi cation, and the principles
of program leadership. She also earned the title of Raytheon
Throughout her career, Dr. Ying has worked tirelessly for the
certifi ed Six Sigma expert. Her six sigma responsibilities in-
betterment of the US aerospace enterprise and served as a role
clude leading more than 130 employees across all engineering
model for young women entering the fi eld. Her contributions
disciplines.
and leadership were recognized by election to the rank of Fel-
low of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
In 2006, she transferred to network centric systems, where
in 2008. AIAA is the world’s largest technical society dedicated
she moved into a system engineering department manager
to the global aerospace profession. She has published more
role, leading more than 100 engineers. In addition Thornton
than 20 papers ranging from basic research topics to the chal-
became an engineering representative for the Florida Diversity
lenges facing leaders in the aerospace industry today.
and Inclusion Council, serving as a leader in the Raytheon’s
Women’s Network.
38 WOMENOFCOLOR | FALL 2009
www.womenofcolor.net
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