Here's our collection of inspirational quotes from the scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians who have won the top award at the Women of Color in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Conference.
"For the past 25 years, I have worked with people in cross-functional teams, and respect for others and other cultures is important. At GM, I see a lot of women scientists and engineers. However, many women might not know about all the opportunities in the automotive industry. I would not have known if GM had not rehired me after my second internship. We need to do more to educate and inform women about jobs in the auto industry," said Dr. Mei Cai, the 2021 Technologist of the Year.
2019 Technologist of the Year, Pamela McCauley: "Seeding innovation, harnessing the data revolution, and the future of work at the human-technology frontier are but a few ideas that will bring people together to solve global problems."
2018 Technologist of the Year, Donna L. Bell: "Growing up, I wasn't exactly sure where my love for STEM would lead. Unfortunately, in our world, there aren't too many paths for an African American girl from Detroit interested in learning about how things work. So, I decided to forge my own."
2017 Technologist of the Year, Denise Gray: "Industry is always going to need people who can innovate. The technology we have today wasn't here when our parents were young. We Americans love to be the first at doing something. Innovation is a part of our core."
2016 Technologist of the Year, Aleksandra Boskovic: "The future is never an exact repetition of the past. You have to take risks."
2015 Technologist of the Year, Delia Grenville: "The award opened up a lot of career conversations in and outside of my company. It gave me access to executive-level connections and conversations I hadn't had before. I don't think those conversations would have occurred as quickly where I was in middle management."
2014 Technologist of the Year, Alicia Boler-Davis: "Any time you drive for results and move fast, you will make mistakes. Don't pretend you have all the answers. Having humility goes a long way."
2013 Technologist of the Year, Camille D'Annunzio: "While working to improve an existing product and trying to understand how the software worked for the product, I realized we were solving the wrong mathematical problem; a nearby problem, but still the wrong one. Recognizing and fixing the issue significantly improved performance and gave me a real sense of accomplishment."
2012 Technologist of the Year, Sonya Sepahban: "Remember along the way, engineering is a great adventure."
"I knew that if I was going to have a better life, this was the field to focus on, back in the early 1970s," said Irene Hernandez Roberts, 2008 Technologist of the Year.
"I didn't grow up where people talked about stocks around the table at night or what would happen in the market the next day. But I was fortunate to work for the first female vice president at Northrop Grumman. Suzanne used to tell us, 'If you want to work in this industry and you want to be competitive, you've got learn how to have 'rhino hide'—not take anything personally," said Chineta Davis, 2007 Technologist of the Year.
"When I started researching ceramics, I came up with theories based on rocks that differed from the conventional wisdom at Corning. The experts disagreed with me and were not interested in me coming up with different theories. I don't want anybody to go through that kind of pain of being undervalued," said Lina Echeverria, 2006 Technologist of the Year.
"I would like to share a quotation. It's part of a Sanskrit shloka (a Hindu prayer) from the Gita: 'Karmanyeva dhikaraste, ma faleshu kadachanam.' This means we have a right to our work and duty but do not have a total claim on the results and achievements," said Dr. Asha Goyal, 2004 Technologist of the Year.
