IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2013 - 25

women in technical fields. Building
self-confidence, providing appropriate
training and skills, and revising gender
stereotypes are all needed [17]. Both
Da Silva and Zadrozny seem to have
known how to do this on their own-
something we would call "professional
survival instincts."
In 2004, Da Silva cofounded Latinas
in Computing, established with the help
of the Anita Borg Institute for Women
in Technology. This group is, "A community created by and for the Latinas in
computing with a mission of promoting
their representation and success in computing related fields." Da Silva pointed
out that for women in technical fields,
joining a group to share experiences,
meet role models, and discuss experiences can be very helpful in learning
how to move forward in one's career. It
can also help in overcoming the challenges of learning how to present one's
self in professional settings-striking a
balance between passion for the subject
and personal emotion.
Zadrozny also pointed to similar
keys to success in her interview, and her
advice was to find sympathetic mentors
in your own field to discuss issues and
problems and to find your own personal
internal motivation to succeed. Good
advice, indeed!

The Wrap Up
Each of our interviewees provided us
with a unique and personal view on their
own personal journey to becoming a
technical professional working in a global environment. We see the influences
of many factors in their successes: family support, teachers and professors who
took an interest in their education and
steered them into the technical fields,
friends and colleagues who provided
mentoring and guidance, and the determination to enter a field with growing
opportunity. Among all of them there
was also a passion for success and for
intellectual pursuit and contribution to
society and family.
Our interviews also supported some
of the "common" conceptions about
cultural influences as well as an individual's ability to find ways around

them with persistence. Our interviewees
definitely demonstrated the persistence
and resiliency to overcome stereotypes and circumstances. Their comments revealed that they understood
the cultural influences that might have
stopped them but had figured out ways
to get past the road blocks. Our interviewees have clearly relished working
in a global environment since it has
given them the opportunity to broaden their skills and learn from a variety
of cultures.
Finally, in the private sector, corporations such as IBM, which focus on
assisting every employee to attain his/
her highest potential and have a commitment to equal opportunity, play an
important role in furthering women's
careers in technical fields.

Acknowledgments
We would like to thank each of our interviewees for their time and thoughtful
responses to our questions. We would
also like to thank Kathleen Falcigno, T.J.
Watson research librarian, for her assistance in proofreading this article and in
locating reference materials.

References

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-Lorraine M. Herger is the director of
Integrated Solutions and chief information
officer of IBM Research. She is currently
the vice president of the Society of Women
Engineers-New York Professional Chapter
and a Senior Member of the IEEE.
-Irene Penney is a senior certified
IT architect in the Infrastructure Service
Management organization in the Office
of the IBM Chief Information Officer. She
is also a member of the IBM Academy
of Technology, an Open Group Certified
Distinguished Architect, and a Member of
the IEEE.

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