As the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) prepares to launch its 50th-anniversary conference week, Women of Color Online recognizes SHPE member Marvi Matos Rodriguez.
She recently received a SHPE Technical Achievement and Recognition (STAR) award, which honors professionals for their dedication, commitment, and efforts to advance Hispanics in STEM careers.
During the 29th annual Women of Color (WOC) STEM Conference held in October 2024, Matos Rodriguez was honored with a Technical Innovation in Industry award for her exceptional technical contributions.
Matos Rodriguez holds 11 patents, including one for a bioreactor designed to control cellular growth and another for engineered tissue.
Currently, she serves as the director of systems engineering, integration, and testing at The Boeing Company.
As a chemical engineer, her work has greatly impacted bioengineering, space exploration, and aerospace.
In her role as director of design practices, she oversaw the development of a web-based tool and created training materials for 50,000 engineers using the tool.
She has received the Great Minds in STEM Professional Achievement Award, as well as the Business of Pride: Outstanding Voices Award.
In 2023, Matos Rodriguez was appointed by President Joe Biden to the National Science Board (NSB), where she supports the National Science Foundation and provides advice to the president and Congress.
The NSB works jointly with the NSF director to pursue the goals and function of the NSF, including the duty to “recommend and encourage the pursuit of national policies for the promotion of research and education in science and engineering.”
Matos Rodriguez is part of the National Science Board’s class of 2022-2028.
Additionally, in 2023, she was elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences and received a proclamation from the Municipality of Jayuya in Puerto Rico, her hometown, recognizing her as a Role Model Citizen and Ambassador in Science and Technology.
