The 2002 Women of Color Technologist of the Year achieved a groundbreaking role at a semiconductor company. Duy-Loan Le made history as the first Asian-American woman to be elected senior fellow at Texas Instruments (TI).
She worked at TI for 35 years, starting as a memory design engineer in 1982 and working her way to the top.
Throughout her career, Duy-Loan achieved many firsts. She became a member of the technical staff in 1990, a senior member of the technical staff in 1993, and a TI fellow in 1999.
She was also elected as a distinguished member of the technical staff in 1997.
While at TI, Duy-Loan led the company's multi-billion-dollar memory product line, working with joint venture partners in five countries and three continents.
She was also responsible for the success of TI's digital signal processors, which generated over 2 billion dollars in revenue.
In 2022, the Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA) and Accenture conducted the 4th annual study of gender equality in the semiconductor industry.
During Women's History Month, Laurie Locascio, director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, announced in a blog that women in STEM at the Department of Commerce have committed to increasing the number of women in the semiconductor workforce in response to Secretary Raimondo's call for more excellent female representation.
The Women in STEM Ambassador Program, which aims to raise awareness about opportunities in the semiconductor industry and inspire interest in engineering and related STEM fields, was launched with the participation of NIST Director Locascio, who was recently elected to the National Academy of Engineering.
Before being confirmed as NIST director in April 2022, Locascio served as vice president for research at the University of Maryland College Park and University of Maryland Baltimore.
Prior to that, she worked at NIST for 31 years, starting as a research biomedical engineer and rising to lead the agency’s Material Measurement Laboratory.
She also served as the acting associate director for laboratory programs, the No. 2 position at NIST, providing direction and operational guidance for NIST’s research programs.
Locascio has published 115 scientific papers and has received 12 patents in bioengineering and analytical chemistry.
She has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from James Madison University, a master’s degree in bioengineering from the University of Utah, and a Ph.D. in toxicology from the University of Maryland Baltimore.
"I will continue to use my role as NIST Director to encourage women to pursue careers in STEM," wrote Locascio, who is also a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Chemical Society, and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.
Programs like the Women in STEM Ambassador Program and CHIPS for America workforce programs do more than address a shortage of skilled professionals.
They also help the economy work for all citizens by expanding access to good jobs, including women, people of color, veterans, persons with disabilities, and rural populations.
"By mentoring, showing, and encouraging representation, you can advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion," Locascio wrote. "A study by the University of Massachusetts showed that just four meetings between female mentors and female engineering students increased students feelings of belonging, confidence, and motivation and their ambitions to pursue a post-graduate engineering degree."
Locascio encouraged everyone to use their position in the community to help other voices be heard and to stand up to inequalities.
She urged people to inspire change, inspire others to change, and be part of creating a more diverse and equitable future for all.
