Sheila served as the Chair of Faculty for MIT's School of Engineering from 1979-81 and served as Associate Provost from 1991-93. In 1988, she was elected to serve as President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. During this time, Sheila also served on the Board of Visitors for the United States Air Force and on the advisory committees for Military Airlift Command and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. One of her most awesome achievements came on August 5, 1993, when she was appointed Secretary of the U.S. Air Force. She became the first woman to ever head a branch of the military.
Her achievements continued from there. In 1995, she was elected to the National Academy of Engineering and served as its vice-president from 1998 to 2005. She also won its distinguished Arthur M. Bueche Award in 2009. Her expertise and experience also lead to her appointment to the shuttle Columbia accident investigation board in 2003. Currently Sheila works with the Lean Advancement Initiative at MIT.
Fun Facts
She wrote an article for a 1983 issue of Science Magazine entitled "Science and the Atari Generation"
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The Atari generation - bet some don't even know what an Atari is. Impressive woman, starting with her graduation from MIT.
ReplyDeleteLOL I hear that Alex. My nephews looked at me like "what are you talking about?" But I remember Pong and Circus Atari. I used to love to make the little guy splat after he popped the balloons.
ReplyDeleteI will never understand scientists who would work for military and army :( That's like working for devil.
ReplyDeleteI can see where you're coming from, Dez, but I also think that if they allow more women into the military and especially into positions of power, then we'd have a very different military.
DeleteMy brain cannot begin to wrap itself around the topics her brain wraps itself around all the time. A woman who ventures into "male" terrain like this, too, has my utmost respect.
ReplyDeleteBe well, Melissa. I hope life is settling down a bit for you.
xoRobyn
Hi Robyn! Funny you should say you can't wrap your brain around the things that Sheila's does. I can't get my brain around that stuff, either. ;)
DeleteBut you and I are very smart in so many other ways, including having a great wit. Thanks for the warm wishes, my friend. Hugs to you!
Great for Sheila. It was fun to learn about her and her life. Great post, Melissa. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Mary. :) I did not know too much about Sheila when Is tarted, but now I want to know all I can about her.
DeleteWow! We need more women in engineering. Widnall is an inspiration to everyone!
ReplyDeleteHer work on helicopter vortices sounds fascinating. The physics behind making a huge aircraft like a helicopter hover like that is so amazing.
I enthusiastically second your sentiments, Jay. I would love to see lots more women in science,particularly in very masculine fields like engineering.
DeleteAnd how a helicopter stays airborne has always fascinated me.
Women can bring warmth and emotion to the sciences - which are too often cold and impersonal. Bringing humanity in can definitely change the outcome of scientific experimentation - and right on, Mel - more women in positions of authority in military science can only be a positive!
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