HerStory: Anita Timmons the Systems Engineer

Anita Timmons has always adored problem-solving and figuring out puzzles. After a military career, she felt drawn to pursue a career in electronics and engineering. “I don’t know what it was about electronics,” she said. “Just being in the lab excited me.” 

What Made Her Choose Engineering

During her time in the military, she helped the network and information technology teams to build new computer systems that were only just starting to come into use. This is where her love for electrical engineering stemmed from and continued to grow.

After leaving the military, she researched the different engineering degrees available, and electrical engineering was the one that appealed most since she excelled in math and physics. Anita found this an easy decision as she believes that you should “go with what you do best.”

Anita attended North Carolina A&T State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering in 2003. She then relocated to Northern Virginia to work as a Systems Engineer with Lockheed Martin on ground communication systems and satellite sensor technology. 

Taking the Next Step 

In 2007, Anita set her sights for a master’s degree. Due to traveling regularly from coast to coast, she decided the best thing would be to complete her masters online with Capella University. As she was working in a classified environment, Anita got her master’s in Information Technology with an emphasis in Cybersecurity. With her new qualification, she continued to work with Lockheed Martin, as well as several other agencies, working her way up to Chief Engineer.

In 2017, she graduated with a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering and Engineering Management from George Washington University. Throughout her career, she has worked on a variety of engineering projects, including software development, systems integration, and requirements analysis.

Her Advice for Young Prospective Female Engineers

Many people believe that to be an engineer, you have to be able to look at a problem and solve it there on the fly, but Anita said, “[you don’t have to be the kind of person that can] just look at a problem and solve it. That’s not me. I’ve always had to take some time to ask questions and do research before I formulated my opinion on a solution.”

“I would encourage any young girl to not give up,” Anita said, talking on how she had to ignore naysayers right up until she received her Ph.D. “They constantly told me, ‘you’re not going to make it.’ ‘You’re not going to finish.’” And that came from her Dean of Advisors, who told her that people with her GPA would generally wash out. “And that motivated me.” 

Just because you don’t have the highest GPAs of your classmates doesn’t mean you won’t graduate with a Ph.D. “People with high GPAs do not necessarily graduate with a PhD.,” says Anita, “[GPA] does not define you. What defines you is your passion.”

Anita also says that young women should be aware that engineering has far more opportunities than they may realize. 

“Engineering is broad and vast. There are lots of things you can do in engineering. So you have to find the area that you’re interested in and pursue that and become great at it.” 

The other important piece of advice Anita gives is to be aware that you may, and will, fail at times. When this happens, you have to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and move on. Take these failures as opportunities to learn. If you get something wrong, go back and find out the answer and get a better understanding so you can get it right in the future, and when you do have success, don’t be afraid to celebrate and allow your successes to build your confidence.

What is it Like to Be a Woman in Engineering

Engineering, like many science and technology professions, is a very male-dominated world, which can discourage women from pursuing a career in this industry. Anita has been in those situations where she has been the only woman or one of few. Unfortunately, she has even witnessed sexual harassment and demeaning behaviour toward women. 

As a female in engineering, it is important to find someone who can be your mentor, whether that is someone within your circle or outside of it. “You always need someone you could throw your ideas against,” says Anita, “to make sure that what you’re doing is sound.” Developing these good relationships will help you to have confidence in everything you do, which is crucial for a career in engineering.

Finally, she says to take responsibility for your education and your results. “It’s not a university’s job to graduate you with a degree, that’s your job. You have to be resilient. You can’t be afraid to look for additional help if that’s what it takes to get you what you want.”