From art class to nuclear power to sustainable transportation
Growing up my creativity thrived via art classes, editing the high school yearbook, and producing short films in the video club. Despite gravitating to the arts, I was a girl that excelled in math and science and ran towards that when it came time to decide what I wanted to do after high school. While I was a student at the University of Pittsburgh, studying Civil & Environmental Engineering, I started working at Westinghouse Electric Company through the Co-Op Program. After graduating with my Bachelor of Science, I continued working at Westinghouse supporting the design, fabrication, and construction of the AP1000 Nuclear Power Plants in the United States and China. After 6 years in the nuclear industry, I pivoted to sustainable transportation and joined Alstom where I have gained expertise in Communications-based Train Control through experience working on CITYFLO 650. I started as a Software Application (Map) Engineer and remained in that role for 4 years. I designed and created the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit Map, Pittsburgh's first CITYFLO 650 FULL Project, from scratch with minimal nonconformance reports. Last year I became the manager of my group.
I manage, schedule, & estimate bids for CITYFLO 650 Application Team
The Communication-Based Train Control Signaling System Product CITYFLO 650 requires the Site Configuration Subsystem/Application Engineering, commonly known as Map, which is a set of binary files generated from a database that represent the physical and virtual configuration of the signaling system. The Map contributes to the functionality of the CITYFLO 650 Solution so that the requirements of a given project are fulfilled and aids in configuring the signaling rules. The specific data in the Site Configuration includes civil information, speed limitations, switch, gate and signal positions, station stop information, emergency walkway locations, and more. My team supports projects all over the world, designing and updating Maps to help make trains safe and automatic.
Contributing to important projects and aiding in automatic operation
Map is the unsung hero of CITYFLO 650. The Map is like the library of knowledge that all other subsystems need and use to perform their tasks. Without it, none of the other subsystems will function properly. We exist so subsystems do not have to hard code project-specific data. Our existence allows the subsystems that make up CITYFLO 650 to be productized; we do the project-specific data heavy-lifting. The Map Team coordinates, manages, and integrates key data across wayside and onboard subsystems to ensure effective, safe, and reliable operations.
You perform your best when you can bring your whole self to work.
A supportive and positive work environment makes a big impact to your career development, job satisfaction, and overall happiness. Having the employee resource group, Alstom Women of Excellence (AWE), has made all the difference for me. From the beginning, AWE made me feel like I was part of a community and truly belonged. That means a lot for a woman in a male-dominated workforce which can be isolating. My number of work friends increased exponentially and so did my confidence. You cannot perform your best unless you can bring your whole self to work, and AWE helps me embrace my whole self.
Launching the Alstom Women of Excellence Pittsburgh Chapter
While not directly related to my "day job", taking a leap of faith and successfully launching the Alstom Women of Excellence Pittsburgh Chapter is what I am most proud of and has had a profound impact in the organization. In a year and half, I propelled Pittsburgh from not having a local AWE Chapter to having one of the biggest and most active. I strive to organize different kinds of events for our members – considering professional development and leadership, corporate social responsibility, and networking. I have received significant feedback from employees in Pittsburgh saying that they can tell our environment and sense of community have improved since launching our local AWE Chapter.
