Super Women

KARLENE HOO ’ 7 7 • Three chemical engineering degrees (bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate) • Former visiting It started at Tech: “Engineering seemed to be the converging point of pure mathematics and pure science.” Dean, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Gonzaga University scientist at NASA Student athlete: Tech and Sandia National swimming and volleyball Laboratories teams: “It disciplined me • First female about studying.” engineering dean at Tech taught her: “I entered Gonzaga college a disciplined learner. My roommate did not know BTHS major: college prep how to compete or study. I First career: chemical engineer (Exxon, DuPont) had already learned that. Tech put me a year ahead of my college peers.” Second career: academic curriculum vitae of 23 pages, with more than 65 published peer-reviewed articles On women in engineering… “We are advancing in environmental, chemical, and biological, but not so Areas of expertise: much in mechanical and dynamical system theory, electrical.” artificial intelligence/ machine learning, supervisory and modelbased control synthesis, and fault identification and monitoring. …And in engineering academia (where 65 out of 1,074 accredited engineering schools have female deans): “I don’t see myself as a trailblazer. But the people In other words… “I was I hire will grow up under a interested in big data long different kind of dean.” before it became popular.”

The engineer as dean: “I use data to develop analytical trends and inform such matters as enrollment and funding projections.”

50 YEARS OF TECH WOMEN

Y VONNE SPICER ’80

Mayor, Framingham, Mass. • First African-American popularly-elected woman mayor in Massachusetts • First African-American woman graduate in technology education, SUNY Oswego • BTHS major: architecture

First career: educator; taught woodworking, architecture, drafting. First woman chair of technology education, Framingham Public Schools. VP of advocacy and educational partnerships at Museum of Science, Boston.

Framingham: home of Bose, TJ Maxx, and Staples. The state’s14th largest city, it took city status in 2018. Yvonne defeated six rivals to become the first mayor: “I wasn’t a lifelong politician; I was an educator. That was the secret sauce for me.”

VIP support: The Bible on which she took the oath as mayor was held by Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

STEM supporter: twoterm member of Governor’s STEM Advisory Council .

Brooklyn: “When I tell people I went to a high school that was ten stories tall, they say, ‘No way.’”

First-generation: Neither parent graduated high school.

It started at Tech: “This was a school of kids who read Barron’s Review books for fun. Everyone was very deliberate in their learning. I give credit to the teachers who helped me fill out my college applications – my mother couldn’t help me with that.”

ALUMNAE

REBEC C A RAMNAUTH ’17

Ph.D. student, Yale University Social Robotics Lab • Researches human-robot interaction to help children with autism and learning disabilities • Completed undergraduate degree in one year, aided in part by BTHS advanced placement courses • BTHS major: software engineering

Wunderkind: Rebecca completed 108 credits in her first semester at Long Island University to earn a computer science bachelor ‘s degree. That spring, she earned a master’s. LIU hired her as an adjunct professor teaching eight courses (several of which she designed), then as assistant dean for research.

Yale research : how robotics can support socially taught skills like emotion recognition and adaptive learning. “Research on robots as tools for autism therapy shows increased engagement, increased levels of attention, and more appropriate social behaviors when robots are part of the interaction.”

Career aspiration: to become a full professor, supervising research and developing curricula.

It started at Tech: “My introduction to robotics and mechatronics was through the robotics team.”

• Twenty-three year IBM career • Alumni Foundation board member • BTHS major: computer science

Current IBM role: driving strategy and software development for IBM’s Watson Health organization.

AI meets healthcare: Bola’s team develops software combining advanced analytics and AI to drive smarter health ecosystems. This means simpler processes, better care, faster breakthroughs, and improved experiences for people around the world.

Multi-skilled: Bola earned an MBA in marketing and information technology management.

Women in IT: “There are not many that ‘look like me.’ When I walk into a room, the [first] reaction is often, ‘You must be the intern.’ For me it’s comical, but it speaks to how underrepresented Black women are in senior leadership roles in IT.”

It started at Tech: “My leadership style goes back to cheerleading: When leading a team, you have to be not only motivational but also foster an atmosphere for creativity, innovation, and productivity.”

BOL A OYEDIJO ’92

Y ANA BROMBERG ’97

Associate Professor of Computational Biology, Rutgers University

• Developed computational Funded and honored by National tools for microbiome Institutes of Health (NIH) to analysis used by researchers research Crohn’s disease and worldwide Tourette Syndrome. Creating a • Research helping NASA search for signs of life on other planets genome-based predictor of Crohn’s likely to lead to new drugs for prevention or treatment. • BTHS major: biomedicine NASA and life beyond Earth: “We are looking at the origins of life on Curriculum vitae: includes 75 this planet in order to design tests for published papers (and counting) and life on other planets.” over 120 scholarly lectures. It started at Tech... in her genetics Honor: for her teaching and class: “I didn’t think any school microbiome research. offered that.” National Science Foundation Women and STEM: “Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something — if not you, then who can?”

TAN Y A R. KENNEDY ’85

Justice, NY Supreme Court Appellate Division

• Former president, National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) • Former supervising judge, Civil Court, New York County • Board of Overseers, Cardozo Law School • BTHS major: chemistry

Advocate for women: Led NAWJ in trademarking #WETOO IN THE LEGAL WORKPLACE.

Potential fulfilled: “I never imagined I would become a judge; I came from humble beginnings. Many people saw the potential and gave me the opportunity.”

Order in the court: “A court is a system of interpersonal relationships: the attorneys, the court officers, the clerk. A judge has many responsibilities: Above all, you want to be sure that justice is served.”

Mentor: maintains an ongoing internship program for Brooklyn Tech students interested in a legal career.

Lifelong ties: “I developed relationships with faculty and fellow students at Tech that I still have today. It gives me a sense of joy and fulfillment.”

Executive Director, Alliance of Artists and Recording Companies (AARC)

• Three-decade career of advocating for recording artists’ and record company rights • Member of the first class of women to graduate with a four-year Tech education • BTHS major: college prep Artist Royalties: AARC is the leader in representing recording artists and copyright owners globally in home-taping, rental and other royalties. BTHS pioneer: “It was fun; it was challenging. The converted boys’ bathrooms took some getting used to, but none of that bothered me. I was so glad to be there. “As a 13-year-old girl entering Tech you think: so many guys, this is great. That lasts about a month. Then you stop seeing them as boys. You start seeing them as classmates – and competitors.” Tech taught her: “There were maybe 300 of us and nearly 6,000 boys. Tech prepared me to compete and be comfortable in a male-dominated curriculum and profession. I’ve heard women say sometimes the men don’t let them speak up. I’ve never had that experience.”

Tech goes to the Grammys: That’s Linda’s original swim team T-shirt.

LINDA (FIGUEROA) BOCCHI ’75

SARAH N A T OCHENNY ’05

Actor

• English language voice of Ash Ketchum, the main character in the Pokémon anime series and movies • 2019 winner of Voice Arts Award • BTHS major: technology & liberal arts Ash Ketchum: Wikipedia calls the animated protagonist Ash Ketchum a pop icon and “one of the most well-known and recognizable fictional characters of all-time.” Sarah has been his voice since she was 19 – almost 700 episodes and 15 movies.

Voice Arts Awards winner: a global competition held by the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences.

Versatility: Sarah is the narrator and voice of every character in Marvel’s “Black Widow: Bad Blood.” She has also been the voice of Tinkerbell in “Peter Pan,” Marian in “Robin Hood” and has worked on many other TV shows, movies, games, toys, commercials, and more. She has also been a film editor for the last 10 years, covering many topics for MSNBC and working on narrative features.

Gap year: Sarah took a year off from work to study international relations and the psychology of religious and political extremism.

It started at Tech: Performed in a production of “Guys and Dolls,” and sang in the chorus: “I got a strong singing and music education. And with a thousand kids in my graduating class from all backgrounds all over the city, I gained a better understanding of the world around me.”

Bi-coastal: Sarah splits time between NY and LA.

Child Athlete: Bronze medal winner in rhythmic gymnastics at the 1999 Junior Olympics.

ALUMNAE

Iconic

In 2007 Munira Ahmed ’02 posed for a photographer friend, modeling an unconventional approach to wearing a hijab. The photo ran on the cover of a Muslim cultural magazine and was then largely forgotten... ...Until artist Shepard Fairey spotted it a decade later, seeking inspiration for a poster series commissioned for the 2017 Women’s March in Washington, DC.

The resulting poster showing Munira became iconic instantly. She literally became the face of that march, her image seen by millions globally.

A political statement initially, the poster took on additional life. It hangs today in many homes and classrooms, a potent reminder that we are all – regardless of nationality or religion – Americans. “I’m not someone who really likes being in the public eye,” Munira says. “When I first saw the poster my reaction was, this was the first time I had seen something like that be very positive about Islam. It wasn’t on my mind that this was my face.” Munira notes proudly that poster sales raised over $1million for a group that uses art to support grassroots causes. She still sees the poster held aloft at rallies: “It makes women feel seen. You don’t have to be Muslim Poster: Shepard Fairey. to identify. It Photos: top, Ridwan Adhami; says, ‘I am this bottom, Droga 5. Below: Zoom person. I am that photography by Kyle Han ’20 woman.’”

LISA JE ’14

Research Assistant, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Wisconsin, Madison • Research area: computational catalysis • Undergrad majors: chemistry (Vassar), engineering (Dartmouth) • BTHS major: chemical engineering Catalysts: Lisa’s research seeks more cost-effective, environmentally-friendly catalysts for industrial uses like manufacturing polymers, plastics and dyes. Why it matters: “Current catalysts often use rare earth materials,

Opening the Digital Door

BY AMANDA TUKAJ ’15

Two women whose technology education began at Brooklyn Tech are opening the door to STEM for young girls in underserved communities across New York City.

Digital Girl Inc., a non-profit founded and led by Michelle Gall, Class of 1996, provides handson training, mentorship and tutoring to girls, who in many cases have had no previous exposure to tech. Toni Robinson ’80 serves as programming director and board president.

“We went into schools and said, ‘this is what your girls should be learning for this economy,’ Toni explained. Many of the elementary and middle schools they saw “had nothing” when they arrived, she added.

Based in Bedford Stuyvesant, where less than 38 percent of the community has a high school education, Digital Girl’s mission is to create tech-savvy and empowered students who can find jobs that will lift them out of poverty. The organization offers free workshops, hack-a-thons, and programs in coding, web design, robotics and more. With a staff of about 25, they are in 15 schools and have mentored over 5,000 students.

They have also have hired and mentored several Brooklyn Tech students as interns. It’s their way of giving resources and opportunities back to the Tech community. Digital Girl, Inc. has been in operation for over five years, and receives support from Google, Verizon, Nation-

Photos courtesy Digital Girl, Inc.: above: L Michelle Gall, R Toni Robinson. Right, program participants learn coding. Below: Lisa Je analyzes chemical components in a surface science lab. al Grid, Con Edison, The Brooklyn Nets, Sprint and government officials.

“Changing my career and going to the digital side of things really changed my life, and I started to wonder how to help other people do the same,” said Michelle, a one-time digital marketer. Michelle wishes she had had more guidance when she was navigating male-dominated industries, especially as a Black woman. The expectations and stigma she encountered motivated her to help young girls facing similar challenges – and, she said, “That’s how Digital Girl was born.” “A mother will say to us, ‘Oh my God, my daughter is in your program, thank you so much.’ There is no price to that kind of reward,” Michelle said.

Toni was an electrical engineering major at Brooklyn Tech less than a decade after the school became coed, and found very few other girls in her classes. At home, she was discouraged from pursuing STEM. All the girls who have participated in Digital Girl’s programs have gone on to college, and while the organization’s focus has always been on girls, it also offers co-ed programs. “Find your support system. Find one person who can be a champion for you – a mentor or a teacher,” Michelle tells young girls who might be interested in STEM but are fearful of others casting judgment. “You also have to be confident in yourself, regardless. You can’t let your confidence come from other people.”

and are expensive and ineffective.” It started at Tech: Lisa interned at chemical company BASF, then working on catalytic converters for combustion engine vehicles. That (pardon the pun) catalyzed her interest. It started at home: “My love for chemistry began with the aromas of my mother’s cooking wafting into my brain, and I pursued these aromatics in organic chemistry.” Diversity: Passionate about increasing and supporting underrepresented students in engineering, Lisa is active in a volunteer campus group supporting that cause. Frequent visitor: Lisa visits Tech yearly, talking to students about opportunities in engineering and catching up with former teachers.