WASHINGTON (1 September 2017) – “A hallmark of a good manager is taking pride in the accomplishments of others,” writes Sherry Gillespie.
In IEEE-USA’s September free e-book for members, IEEE-USA Women in Engineering, Book 3: Passions Can Sustain You–A Personal Career History, author Gillespie shares her personal story about her life’s work in science and technology.
Gillespie is a technology management consultant in Washington, D.C. A past IEEE-USA Congressional Fellow, she provides readers with a look at her career journey: stints as a high school physics teacher; extraordinary opportunities to lead cross-organizational, as well as international, technology programs; and five years serving on a major industry consortium’s Board of Directors. An active IEEE-USA volunteer, in this e-book, Gillespie also shares her career challenges, and the lessons she learned along the way.
The author decided to pursue a physics career while in high school. Due to her academic achievements, she received a full scholarship to Vassar College, and the liberal arts environment suited her well. However, Gillespie notes that when she got to graduate school, the curriculum was much harder, and persistence was crucial. Nevertheless, she found an inner drive to keep pushing forward. “Such is the nature of passion for science and technology,” she writes.
In one chapter, Gillespie describes an early encounter with IBM (during her undergraduate studies at Vassar) as less than positive… On a class field trip to the IBM plant in Poughkeepsie, she witnessed endless rows of women employees stringing ferrite cores for computer memory, “in what looked like the world’s largest sewing bee!” However, by the time she arrived at IBM in Vermont for work some years later–things had changed significantly, and IBM had its semiconductor memory well established.
Gillespie worked at IBM in engineering reliability; explored the physics of semiconductor devices; evaluated electron beam lithography; and finally, she entered management. Not to mention receiving IBM’s Technology Innovator Award, and picking up a patent in Electron Beam Lithography.
According to Gillespie: “Science and technology are not gender specific. Passions can sustain you.”
In September, IEEE-USA is offering this $7.99 e-book, from the award-winning IEEE-USA Women in Engineering series, free to IEEE members only!
From 1 September through 15 October, IEEE members can get their free download by going to: https://ieeeusa.org/product/women-in-engineering-book-3-passions-can-sustain-you-a-personal-career-history/. Log in with your IEEE account, add the book to your cart, and use promo code SEPTFREE17 (case sensitive), at checkout.
CALL FOR AUTHORS
IEEE-USA E-BOOKS seeks authors to write an individual e-book, or a series, on career guidance and development topics. If you have an idea you think will benefit members in a particular area of expertise, please email your proposal to IEEE-USA Publishing Manager Georgia C. Stelluto at g.stelluto@ieee.org.
IEEE-USA serves the public good and promotes the careers and public policy interests of nearly 190,000 engineering, computing and technology professionals who are U.S. members of IEEE.
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Contact: Georgia C. Stelluto
IEEE-USA Publishing Manager,
Manager/Editor, IEEE-USA E-BOOKS
Editor, IEEE-USA ConferenceBrief
InFocus Department Editor, IEEE-USA InSight
g.stelluto@ieee.org
