IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2013 - 15

laughing. But, she adds, the Bellcore
the research and development
"the best career decision I
program was "great, because I had
arm for the regional telecould have ever made."
James Falk as a mentor, who was the
phone companies. "It
Now, as a direcMuch of
former head of intellectual property at
was
amazing,"
says
tor in the ElectronGordon's love of
Bell Labs. He has a tremendous amount
Gordon. "They were
ics Group at Sterne
engineering came
of experience and trained me to become
doing some worldKessler Goldstein
from the excitement
a patent attorney." Gordon says she also
class research in
& Fox in Wa shexpressed by her father c om mu nic at ion s had some amazing career mentors such
ington, D.C., she
as Loria Yeadon, currently an executive
technolog y, so I
counsels clients on
regarding new
vice president at Intellectual Ventures,
got to sit down with
intellectual property
technology.
who also went through the program
some of the brightmatters, including the
at Bellcore.
est minds in the field
preparation and prosecuUnfortunately, Gordon wasn't able
to talk about engineering
tion of patent applications,
to see the program through to compleproblems." As her work began to
litigation and reexaminations
tion because the 2001 downturn in the
migrate from understanding commurelating to patents, and challenges
economy struck the telecommunications
nication technologies to dealing with
under the new America Invents Act
industry particularly hard and Bellcore
network security and prevention from
(AIA) passed last year. To do so, Gordon
had to close down the program and lay
hackers, she began thinking about a
calls on her technical background and
off its student associates. More than
shift in her career path.
engineering experience, leveraging both
two-thirds done with law school, GorGordon jumped at the chance to
to bring an extra level of skill and underdon chose to finish her degree, luckily
apply to a program at Bellcore in which
standing to her practice.
being able to rely on scholarship funds
the company sponsored two currently
Gordon's interest in engineering
she received from Seton Hall. "I was
employed engineers through law school.
began when she was a child, living in
disappointed about not being able to con"They liked to train people who knew
central Pennsylvania as the only girl
tinue working at Bellcore and was natuthe technology and company to work
among three brothers. "My father was
rally a bit nervous about the situation,"
in their patent division in-house," she
into ham radio, and ever since I could
explains. "What I love most
remember, I knew his call sign," she
is being exposed to a lot of
says. Growing up in the 1970s and
different technologies, so one
1980s, she recalls her first interaction
of the things that attracted
with a personal computer: a Timex Sinme to apply is that I would
clair, which at that time had no monitor,
be able to see and be involved
only a touchpad, and was the size of a
with a breadth of technolosmall book. At the age of 12, Gordon's
gies in the legal department."
father brought home a snap electric
Gordon cites asynchronous
circuit that she used to build circuits
transfer mode, voice over
and connect different components. "Any
Internet protocol, differtime a new technology came out, he
ent encryption algorithms,
would bring it into the house," she says.
electronic money, and bat"That was always exciting because none
tery technology (becoming
of my friends at school would have the
i n c re a si n g ly i m p or t a nt
same thing. A lot of my own interest in
for cell phones) as some of
engineering came from his love of the
the areas Bellcore was beginfield and the fact that he would bring
ning to examine at the time
home to his kids the excitement he felt
and which she found particuabout all the advances being made."
larly exciting.
It wasn't just the lone daughter who
As one of the two applibecame an engineer-one of her brothcants selected, she enrolled
ers did as well.
at Seton Hall University and
After earning a bachelor's degree
began the three-year profrom Lafayette College and a master's
cess of working for Bellcore
degree from Pennsylvania State Uniby day and earning her law
versity, both in electrical engineering,
degree at night. "I'm not
she started work at Bellcore in 1992.
going to say law school is a
At that time, the company was called
Managing her work-life balance has been a priority
walk in the park," she says,
Bell Communications Research and was
for Gordon.

June 2013

iEEE womEn in EnginEEring magazinE

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2013