ASME INSIDER CHRISTINE REILLEY

MY FATHER WAS AN ELECTRICAL ENGINEER, and he spent most of his career at Bell Laboratories. So, I had a firsthand view of what engineers do day-to-day. And I always thought it was so exciting.

I had the chance to go to Bell Labs with my father and just be in that environment. That environment encouraged collaboration across so many different people from Bell Labs. So just to be there in that environment, to see them talking, and to watch them solve problems was just very, very exciting for me.

Engineers also bring a lot of creativity to their work, so it’s that combination of methodical, objective viewpoint combined with out of the box creative thinking that’s really exciting. It’s really fascinating to see the different types of problem solving going on, whether it’s through technologies around hydrogen technologies around small modular nuclear reactors, the list goes on.

And we really need engineers from all different backgrounds to tackle these problems. That’s an area where ASME continues to support and really engage with female engineers.

I myself have a Master of Science in biomedical engineering. And so, it’s really, again, gratifying for me, to be a part of ASME to encourage and support the careers of women who are just rising through the ranks.

And so, again, we just want to make sure that we are inclusive, that they are heard and that we continue to move forward in this field. Creating an environment where everyone feels heard actually leads to better outcomes and solutions being provided for unique problems.

One female engineer made inroads in breast cancer research in ways that weren’t addressed before because she was able to bring her perspective as a woman and as an engineer to her research. So, it’s bringing that engineering lens, from personal as well as professional background where we can solve problems, in this case, in the medical field.

It’s very energizing working with early-career engineers. The engineers I’ve spoken with have such a vision and are really ambitious about solving the world’s problems. I am very impressed by their energy, their willingness to tackle really, really big problems. I’m very hopeful. I’m very excited about the future.

I want to see ASME thrive in this changing world. The world is going to be completely different 20 years from now. Whether it’s AI, whether it’s climate change, whether it’s supporting the engineers of the future. And so, we want to be here to make sure that we’re a part of that.