WOMEN OF COLOR AWARD WINNERS 2013
chemistry and teach myself the biology to build an accurate model which helped justify the design. This was a very hard project that I completed successfully,” D’Annunzio said.
Over 35 years, she has done an exemplary job as techni- cal professional and manager motivating staff to develop algorithms and techniques for problems occurring in radar, sensor fusion, color video, telecommunications, defense, ac- tive noise and vibration control, biology, physics, chemistry and engineering.
She attributes her success to “dedication, persistence and competence.” In addition, she said, “It is really important to be knowledgeable about all aspects of the project you are working on and to be able to look ahead to see where your business is headed so you can clear the road in that direction.
“You have to have a passion for what you are doing,” she advised. “That passion shows through in your work, and leadership takes notice. I think you also have to have goals and reach for those goals, recognize when your goals need to be modified.”
In 2013, D’Annunzio led a hands-on science station called “Is it an Acid or a Base?” for Girl Power 2013, a free introduction to careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) for middle and high school girls in a partnership between the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County and the Maryland Space Business Roundtable. The sixth annual Girl Power event attracted more than 1,000 girls and family members.
D’Annunzio served as leader and advisor for Girl Scout Troops 2232 and 1820 from 1997 through 2013 as her last girl scout graduated and headed off to college.
A 27-year member of the Girl Scouts and a member of the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital, D’Annunzio served as leader and advisor for Girl Scout Troops 2232 and 1820 from 1997 through 2013 as her last girl scout graduat- ed and headed off to college. She now works at the council level on the Gold Award Panel.
“Programs like the Girl Scouts are providing STEM pro- grams that help, but much more needs to be done particu- larly at the middle school level where many girls choose to leave STEM,” she said.
“Probably my earliest influence was my mother, who inter- ested me in cooking, which lead me to my first chemistry lab, the kitchen,” she said. “Next was my father, the engineer, who
taught me the importance of mathematics in design.”
D’Annunzio says increasing female participation in STEM education means getting girls into projects at an earlier age. “Boys have the equipment to build robots or electrical contraptions where girls do not generally have these things available to them as they grow up. I think elementary programs like Math Olympiad, Destination Imagination and others need to recruit more girls.”
To this end, she has served as a volunteer (1993-2005) to develop and implement curriculum for age appropriate hands-on science activities at Thurgood Marshall Elemen- tary School and Epworth Pre-School. At Quince Orchard High, she has run a college application program series in collaboration with the principal. Her professional groups include the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Society of Industrial and Applied Mathemati- cians, Society of Women Engineers, Northrop Grumman Women in Engineering and Northrop Grumman Electronic System’s Women’s Initiative for Networking and Success.
Today, so many technical areas are inter-related, so a broad math and science base is important, she noted. “The broad base allows you to make the connections and then provides the ability for you to work with other tech- nical groups,” she explained. “I also think that some cod- ing experience, at least to the level of MATLAB (matrix laboratory, a high-level technical computing language and interactive environment for algorithm development), is necessary so that you understand how computing can be used to assist your problem solving.
“In graduate school, Dr. Bruce Kellogg provided guidance throughout my dissertation. Once in the professional world, I would say Dr. Charles Chassaing had the largest influence on my technical career. He taught me how to first think about solving a problem and then how to go about it,” she said.
Looking to the future of her field, “The ‘Big Data Prob- lem’ affects so many in so many ways,” D’Annunzio comments. “The amount of data collected for review by analysts is staggering. This “Big Data” or “Swimming in Data” problem requires many, many analysts and it is im- possible to review the data in a timely manner. Automat- ed software to reduce operator fatigue and workload as well as to reduce the total number of operators needed to assist analysts is becoming more and more important with the advent of Big Data.”
To new women in the STEM workforce, her advice is: “Stick with it. If someone tells you you will never make it, go do it anyway. Don’t hesitate to ask for help, find a mentor you are comfortable going to for all kinds of questions. Being a female in STEM can sometimes be lonely and sometimes frustrating but it can also be very rewarding.”
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