Interview: Esther Diaz-Rivera

NASA? Like, the NASA? What did you do for NASA? 
I was an engineer working in the Ion Electric Propulsion branch. This department is in charge of the development of ion thrusters which are basically engines used in deep space application. My role as an engineer was to evaluate the success of new designs in terms of efficiency. The information collected during testing, including design details, was compiled in research papers. Those papers were published or presented in conferences. 

That sounds interesting. 
It was. Imagine being in a huge chamber with no air, always vacuum and firing up an engine! Physics involved in the process is insane!

You’re an engineering lead. What does a typical day look like? 
My role is very dynamic. Every day is different. Some days we might be improving the quality of a part, other days we might be developing new solutions or evaluating a product. We do independent testing in our R&D lab, and obviously, I do a lot of designing. But since I am a lead engineer, I am also in charge of a team of people and it takes all of us to complete projects.

Do you work on a particular product family? 
I mostly concentrate on our nuclear products, specifically external source holders. Here and there I will work on radar products, but my work is mostly with nuclear products.

Have you had any opportunity to work with the VEGAPULS 64?
I had an opportunity to work with it when I built demo units that were used to showcase our products at various events and trade shows.

As an engineer, what do you think of it?
It’s an awesome product. It works in all liquid applications and has a narrow beam angle perfect for challenging applications. It’s truly amazing.

Do you have a particular project or accomplishment you’re proud of? 
[Laughs] I’d say anything we finish on time is an accomplishment because that means we are meeting our internal and external customer’s deadlines. As a lead, I’ve had to develop metrics for the group so we can identify how to improve processes and predict capacity. We had to implement a system to collect data and develop metrics. The process took time, but it helps us concentrate on the right efforts.  

What made you want to be a lead? 
I wanted a position that let me continue with the technical aspects of engineering and help other people. Leading others is something that drives me.

Speaking of leading, you participated in last year’s Girls in Manufacturing event. Why was it important for you to participate in that event? 
The manufacturing field is suffering from lack of participation from women. I hoped to inspire girls to be engineers and to participate in manufacturing. I was inspired once, too and I wanted to do the same for others. I have a ten-year old daughter and if I can show her that she can pursue a career in math and science then I feel accomplished.