Honeywell spotlights some of its talented women engineers

Marking National Engineering Week in the USA, Honeywell spotlighted women engineers Sarah Sepulveda, Iris Alvarado Santiago, and Aisling Neilan.

Meet Honeywell Systems Engineer, Sarah Sepulveda

Sarah's day-to-day can range from being in an office to working in the field. "My job requires me to communicate and coordinate with different engineering disciplines as clearly as possible in order to ensure we bring the project in on time and under budget," says Sarah. "Working with many disciplines can be challenging at times, since different teams’ priorities may not align on the same path forward. As a system engineer, it’s important for me to have a broad understanding of all technical aspects of the project to identify a path forward that allows all of the teams to advance in sync."

Looking at how community plays a role in her career, Sarah explains: "Community also means family. I’ve been very lucky to have been guided by several individuals in my career who were not women and were also not engineers.

"This gave me a different perspective on my career path and also influenced me because these individuals dedicated their own personal time to help me grow with no expectation of anything in return, except to see me succeed. This wonderful, supportive community has also inspired me to help other individuals and join organizations like the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers."

Meet Honeywell Program Lead, Iris Alvarado Santiago

Iris manages engineering projects, from studies all the way to engineering packages for a single unit or a complex. "This is my dream job. I am results-driven, but my teams are equally important. I build my teams, set expectations and ensure that we meet deliverables as I control and monitor progress. I value teamwork and ensure that my team is part of the decision-making that is often part of project execution, while shielding them from the noise so they can focus on what is important," explains Iris.

Her family and community are engraved in her. "I come from Aibonito, Puerto Rico, a town in the middle of the island, or like most say, “a jibarita de la montaña." I am a first-generation college graduate paving the way for the rest of the family. My family is big — I have over 60 first cousins — and I am still the only engineer and one of the first to go and graduate from college," says Iris.

In her professional life, Iris is part of the Honeywell UOP Technical Community Organization as a core member, and helps drive initiatives like Bring Your Child to Work Day and a STEM education program.

"I also mentor colleagues, participate in different employee networks, and in the last two years, I have started to be an active member of La Familia through the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers."

Meet Honeywell Advanced Aerospace Project Engineer, Aisling Neilan

As a Project Engineer for a defense program, Aisling leads the design and development activity for specific modules of the project.

"My scope as the single point leader for my modules includes regular communication with various departments (such as engineering, integrated supply chain, and program management), technical reporting and reviews, risk management, hardware and supplier coordination, and test plan preparation. I also manage technical requirements of the project and oversee a budget and program schedule," shares Aisling.