IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - December 2017 - 16

While working at
Covestro, Kassalen
traveled the world
as a member of
the Solar Impulse
ground crew.

She was interning at the manufacturVirginia Tech and served as its vice presing facility of materials science company
ident of public relations. She took her
Covestro and out of her comfort zone,
experience and, with the help and supbut only for a while. In fact, she liked
port of those she worked with, applied
Covestro so much-especially the way
for the position.
people supported her and recognized her
She was chosen to travel with Solar
potential-that she accepted a full-time
Impulse from Hawaii to the United
job at the company.
Arab Emirates as part of the 16-memShe was six months into Covestro's
ber ground crew on a 60-person team.
trainee program, rotating through cerIf interning at Covestro had felt like
tain aspects of its business, when she
an adventure, this was something else
happened upon an interesting internal
entirely-she doesn't know that she'll
need. The company was looking for an
ever feel as out of her comfort zone as
electrical engineer with a background in
she did those first few days on the job.
public relations to travel the world with
Kassalen was the only member from the
Solar Impulse.
United States, and there were language
Covestro has been an offibarriers. She was the youngcial partner of the Swiss-led
est member of the ground
You
solar airplane since 2010.
crew as well as a new
don't have to
Its role is to contribute
engineering gradutechnology, and its
ate, and she suddenly
lose any parts of
products are found
had all of these new
your personality or
in the cockpit insularesponsibilities where
personal interests
tion, windshield, coatthere was no answer
when you become
ing on the wing, and
in the back of the textan engineer.
many other materials
book. Decisions needed
throughout the plane.
to be made in real time.
Kassalen studied the
"I had to remember to
listing. She was in a sorority at
stay confident and find my role

IEEE WOMEN IN ENGINEERING MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2017

on the team," Kassalen says. "Without
support, you really can't do anything,
but I had everyone at Covestro saying I
could do it."
The Solar Impulse 2 may have a
huge wing span, but it weighs only as
much as a sport-utility vehicle, coming
in at 5,100 lb. They have to keep the
weight down, so it's very light on electrical components. For example, there's
no automatic taxi mechanism. If there's
an electric component on that plane, it's
to power the airplane and the propellers. This is why, out on the runway,
Kassalen and the crew would pull the
airplane out to position and hold up the
wing to balance the plane before takeoff. She might walk with the tail of the
airplane or ride along beside it on an
electric bicycle.
As the plane took off, the crew would
stand on the side of the runway and
watch. Once it was in the air, the crew
members would pack up their supplies
and catch a commercial flight to their
next destination. After landing, they'd
unpack and wait on the side of the runway as the plane came into view. They
always had plenty of time-we're talking

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - December 2017