Stephanie Hill, Vice President and General Manager of Lockheed Martin’s Ship & Aviation Systems business, loves being an engineer. This leader – with a diverse portfolio that includes the Littoral Combat Ship program, unmanned aerial systems, lasers, and IT services for U.S. and international postal services – is also a passionate advocate of STEM education. Lockheed Martin co-founded the and has much in store for the 2016 event. As for Hill? “I’m most looking forward to seeing the students’ eyes light up,” she said of the USA Science & Engineering Festival, a kid-friendly STEM education event that Lockheed Martin helped co-found.
Innovation & Tech Today: Another interviewee mentioned the importance of getting people in the community that the kids look up to involved in STEM education. What are your thoughts?
Stephanie Hill: I agree. We work with one program that serves the African-American population, and they partner with the local university to bring in STEM professionals who can serve as role models. We bring young women into classrooms so female students can see someone who looks like them in the field and know they can do it. We’re fortunate Lockheed Martin is committed not only in terms of putting up dollars, but also in terms of being willing to give their time.
I&T Today: You call yourself the ‘accidental engineer.’ How did you get into engineering?
SH: One of the reasons I’m so passionate about science and engineering is because of how I came into the field. When I think about how much fun I have had in my career and the incredible programs that I have been privileged to work on, it’s amazing to think none of it would have happened if I had never taken that programming class. The reason we don’t have as many people trying to get into this field is that they don’t understand what they can do with it. If we demystify it, we can get people to consider it and see that it’s fun.
I&T Today: What’s your favorite part about being an engineer?
SH: Finding the solution. When you’re a young engineer, you’re working hard to find the best way to solve a problem. When you’ve figured out the best way to do that, there’s no better feeling! Another favorite part is knowing that you’re making a difference in people’s lives. I had an opportunity to work on a persistent threat detection system that was used in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it saved many lives. This was basically a blimp with high-tech surveillance equipment that could see when bad guys would plant IEDs. When soldiers travelled down a road with these IEDs, they would be rerouted. On that day the soldiers lived. The mothers of Afghanistan called them “angels of the sky.” They would only let their children go outside to play when they could see the blimp. Luckily, Lockheed Martin doesn’t want young people to be cheated out of an opportunity to make a difference. We are committed to making sure at least 325,000 people attend this year’s conference.
I&T Today: STEM is a certainly buzzword right now. Do you predict it’s going to continue to be at the forefront of a lot of conversations?
SH: There’s a lot of work to do to get our kids not just interested, but to pursue degrees, and then pursue careers. We have to build a pipeline. It will be wonderful when we are at a point where we don’t have to talk about it because there are so many people majoring in science and engineering.
