Gihan Oraby was the recipient of the Community Service Award at the 2018 Women of Color in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Conference.
She works as the divisional chief of the Quality Engineering and System Assurance Directorate at the Armament Research, Development, and Engineering Center at the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey as a civilian with the Department of the Army.
Gihan has supervised over 100 engineers and scientists who are engaged in armament programs. She is also a passionate promoter of opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers.
She serves on the Armament Research, Development, and Engineering Center's advisory councils, coordinating World Day for Cultural Diversity events, and Executive Mentoring Panels.
As the president of the Picatinny Arsenal Women in Defense chapter, she has advocated for scholarships for future scientists and engineers.
Gihan has led outreach programs like Introduce a Girl to Engineering and Introduce a Teen to Engineering to encourage underrepresented communities in science, technology, engineering, and math to pursue STEM careers.
Gihan said, "As the child of Egyptian immigrants, I was raised in the Muslim faith with strong values and a duty to serve my community. College was a challenge. But, as I tackled the technical rigors of electrical engineering, my parents' guidance carried me forward."
She further added, "I was scared in the aftermath of September 11th. My fear as a covered woman was immeasurable. Would someone attack me because of my hijab? But, again, my parents' guidance carried me forward. As I progress in my career, I strive to help people broaden their mindsets, dissolve prejudices, and achieve their dreams."
Gihan graduated from Rutgers University in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in electrical/computer engineering.
