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Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: Dr Nandi Leslie of Raytheon Technologies Engineering Fellow On The 5 Leadership Lessons She Learned From Her Experience

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Isolation from other women. Studies have shown that women who have encountered discrimination early on in their careers often distance themselves from other women. This isolation can be problematic from a professional and personal standpoint, while also impeding our ability to mentor other women. More specifically, women of color may worry that engaging with colleagues of the same ethnicity or race may be negatively perceived by their other colleagues.

As a part of my series about “Lessons From Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Nandi Leslie.

Dr. Nandi Leslie is an Engineering Fellow at Raytheon Technologies. She joined the then Raytheon Company, as an engineer in 2015. In 2019, Dr. Leslie became the first African American woman to hold the distinction of engineering fellow — the company’s highest technical honor as only 3% of the company’s engineers has achieved it. Dr. Leslie has supported the U.S. Army Research Laboratory as a researcher and principal investigator on projects related to machine learning and cybersecurity. For the past three years, Dr. Leslie has been a visiting professor at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences in Senegal, Africa. Dr. Leslie has also led and contributed to sensor performance projects for the U.S. Navy at Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc. from 2007 to 2015. As program manager and senior analyst, she developed modeling approaches for submarine force security, using dynamical systems and stochastic processes. Dr. Leslie has published over 40 articles in journals, magazines, conference proceedings and technical reports and given over 50 research talks at national and international conferences including North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) conferences.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I am an applied mathematician, and my father is a mathematician and a retired professor of mathematics. Growing up, pursuing a career in mathematics was encouraged not only by my dad, but also my mom, who’s a sociologist. They enrolled me in additional math programs outside of school, which not only instilled a love of mathematics in me from a young age, but also inspired me to get into the field.

My siblings also played a role in my academic and professional life. I have a big family with six siblings: one of my sisters studied mathematics education in college and graduate school, another sister studied computer science for two of her degrees, and yet another sister studied chemistry for two degrees. Seeing how much joy STEM fields brought to them helped to reinforce my interest in math and inspired me to work more diligently. In addition, it soon became an escape from any negativity I experienced from the normal pressures of life.

Later on, I had amazing professors at Howard University — Professors Lutterodt, Robart, and Adeboye, to name just a few — where I received my Bachelor’s degree, and then Professor Simon Levin at Princeton University, where I received both a Master’s and Ph.D. in applied and computational mathematics. They helped me further understand mathematics from a variety of different perspectives. What led me to applied mathematics specifically was meeting an incredible professor who visited my undergraduate institution from Cornell University, Professor Carlos Castillo-Chavez. He gave a phenomenal talk on how mathematics could be used to understand the spread of disease — a field called epidemiology. I loved that mathematics could be applied in such an impactful way, and it really piqued my interest in the field. From there, he invited me to apply to a summer program at Cornell, which catapulted me into the field of applied mathematics.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began at your company?

I’ve been fortunate to have many incredible experiences at Raytheon Technologies and Raytheon Intelligence & Space. One that stands out to me occurred through my work with the Army Research Laboratory (ARL), which gave me the opportunity to travel and participate in NATO workshops and conferences.

I attended a workshop organized by the ARL chief scientist of a lab based in the Czech Republic, which focused on global cyber resilience and predictive analytics challenges. It was eye opening and valuable for me to get a different perspective from ARL and NATO partners on cybersecurity issues. Being able to brainstorm solutions with NATO partners was very rewarding.

That experience drove home for me just how important the work Raytheon Intelligence & Space does — we really are tackling the hardest problems head-on. It also motivated me to continue to develop my mathematics and computational skills and avoid allowing them to atrophy, even as I reach toward the pinnacle of my career.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

None come to mind, but I’m sure I’ve had a few along the way!

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

There are many factors that make Raytheon Intelligence & Space a great place to work, and two things in particular stand out as an RI&S employee.

First, as I touched on earlier, is RI&S’ global impact. We’re not just working to address national challenges, but also global issues. For example, we develop advanced sensors, cyber services and software solutions, and we deliver cutting-edge technology that enables our customers to succeed in any domain, against any challenge.

Second is our environmental sustainability efforts. We are committed to protecting the environment and conserving natural resources. RI&S — and Raytheon Technologies as a whole — is working to reduce our environmental footprint through responsible resource management, implementing innovative solutions and collaborating with stakeholders. In fact, Raytheon Technologies recently appointed a chief sustainability officer to help ensure that our products, solutions and platforms are built with sustainability in mind, and that we’re positively impacting the Earth’s climate and biodiversity in the process. I love that sustainability is something we’re working toward as a company.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

I am working on a diverse portfolio of projects that look at the intersection of computational modeling, artificial intelligence/machine learning and cybersecurity. One project that I’m particularly excited about is related to network security and resilience. Many ground vehicles and autonomous vehicle networks remain vulnerable to unauthorized network activities.

This project addresses an issue that affects almost everyone — whether your means of transportation include a car, bus, aircraft or something else. This work has the potential to positively impact many people. It is also using novel developments in mathematical modeling, including machine learning, to develop innovative algorithms to both monitor and detect new types of attacks on vehicle networks. Overall, I’m finding my work in this area and many others to be very exciting and fulfilling.

Now shifting to the main focus of the interview. Are you currently satisfied with the status quo regarding women in Science, Technology, Mathematics and Engineering? What specific changes do you think are needed to change the status quo?

I am certainly unsatisfied with the status quo regarding women in STEM — spanning both women and women of color. There are so many things we can do and should do to increase diversity in STEM fields. One being a concerted effort to cultivate STEM skills among youth at an early age.

Raytheon Intelligence & Space does just that by partnering with nonprofit organizations that cultivate STEM skills, innovation, and diverse thinking. Our goal is to create a more diverse and inclusive environment that encourages young people to build critical confidence, skills and networks — setting them up for success. Some of our partners include FIRST Robotics, Girls Who Code and Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

There is much more work to be done throughout the industry to develop, promote and retain diverse talent.

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by women in STEM that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts? What would you suggest to address this?

There are many challenges that women face in STEM fields. I read an article in Harvard Business Review a while back that I think summarizes the top biases pushing women out of STEM:

Women need to prove themselves over and over again. Two thirds of women say they need to prove themselves repeatedly, that their successes are discounted, and that their expertise is unnecessarily questioned.

Women find they need to behave in masculine ways in order to be seen as competent, but yet are expected to be feminine. If they don’t follow this standard, they risk being seen as angry or too forward. The authors called this, “walking the tightrope.”

When professional women have children, they often find themselves running into a wall where their commitment to their job and competency is questioned. Some also find that after returning from maternity leave, opportunities begin to dry up. I definitely experienced this as a young mother, in my early career at another company.

Isolation from other women. Studies have shown that women who have encountered discrimination early on in their careers often distance themselves from other women. This isolation can be problematic from a professional and personal standpoint, while also impeding our ability to mentor other women. More specifically, women of color may worry that engaging with colleagues of the same ethnicity or race may be negatively perceived by their other colleagues.

There is no silver bullet to solving these issues. However, Raytheon Technologies serves as a founding partner for the Women of Color in Engineering Collaborative funded in part by the Society of Women Engineers, and both organizations strive to address these issues. This partnership has begun to uncover that one good place to start is by developing objective metrics that are quantifiable, and then holding organizations and leadership accountable for meeting those metrics. This includes:

Urging men and women to work together to address these issues to ease the burden on women of working on solutions in isolation;

Ensuring minority employees have access to mentorships, sponsorships, and grants;

Ensuring minority employees have access to leadership positions and professional development tools; and

Identifying barriers and creating specific plans and metrics to break them down.

8. What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a woman in STEM. Can you explain what you mean?

The most common myths about being a woman in STEM are based on the biases I outlined above. Most prevalent are questioning a woman’s expertise because of their gender or commitment to their role because they are a mother. Many women in STEM face these biases every day and steps must be taken to improve working conditions and social norms.

What are your “Five Leadership Lessons I Learned From My Experience as a Woman in STEM” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)

Know your self-worth. As women, we need to fully know and understand our self-worth and value so that we can ensure that we are asking for the right salary and for the same opportunities as our male counterparts. This also involves having open and honest conversations with our male colleagues who may be privy to different resources. For example, I once found out through a male friend at work that I was being significantly underpaid at a previous job. Once I knew that, I took action to rectify the situation.

Continue to find ways to grow. You may already feel like you’re at the pinnacle of your career and are in a good groove, which is great. Speaking from experience, there are always ways to grow and further develop your skill set to best prepare yourself for what’s around the corner.

Continue to challenge women in STEM. Along the same lines, leaders need to make sure they continue to challenge women in STEM with diverse assignments that require them to learn and develop skills. I have found this is an opportunity that is not extended to women as often as it could be.

Work to connect women with great sponsors and mentors. My mentors are a resource that I’ve truly valued throughout my career. Whether male or female, they are a source of invaluable, tangible feedback and support.

Invest in leadership development and executive coaching for women. This gives women more opportunities to work their way up in organizations and eliminates barriers to their success. An adequate investment to ensure that there are development opportunities and a pipeline for women goes a long way and positively impacts retention.

What advice would you give to other women leaders to help their team to thrive?

I would say encourage your teams to hone their talents and skills, strive to learn new things and lead by example. Present skill development as a value-add and objective not just for the individual but for the team and company at-large.

What advice would you give to other women leaders about the best way to manage a large team?

Even though your team may be large, be sure to find ways to connect with the individual contributors. With a large team, it can become difficult to connect with your direct reports regularly, but it’s important to have some connection. In these instances, I recommend making quarterly or biannual one-on-one connections with your direct reports, and more frequently where feasible. At the end of the day, having a personal connection with your direct reports inspires them to feel like they are a part of the team, provides them with consistent coaching opportunities and exposes them to senior leaders. I find this also inspires high productivity and effectiveness.

Is there a particular person who you are grateful toward who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

As I mentioned above, my parents and family played a large role in helping me get to where I am today. They truly ignited my passion for math as a child and helped support my love for the subject throughout the early years of my life. Their support and guidance ultimately set me up for success throughout my career. In addition, the professors that I mentioned earlier have also helped shape how I see the world.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

One of the most rewarding aspects of my career has been my mentorship work. I currently mentor professional engineers, data scientists and student interns — including those at the Johns Hopkins University and University of Texas, Dallas — on machine learning and cybersecurity projects.

I also participate in and support several societies and committees that work to advance professional opportunities for women and minorities in STEM. I am also a subcommittee member of the Society of Applied and Industrial Mathematics Industry Committee, looking at programs that could help build a talent pipeline for applied mathematics. In addition to that, I’m an advisory board member for the Center of Excellence in AI/ML at my alma mater Howard University, helping guide and mentor students’ research.

If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

One cause that’s extremely important to me is ensuring that workers are paid a living wage. If accomplished, it will positively impact many aspects of our society. Making a fair, living wage enables individuals and families not only access to the basic human rights of food and shelter, but also provides them the freedom to make decisions that will benefit themselves and their community. When you make a living wage, you can begin caring beyond yourself, have freedom of thought, and are less stressed — leading to your health improving, too. I think ensuring fair wages for workers would help solve many issues faced by communities around the world.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

My favorite quote is from the Bible: “So you must go to people in every country in the world. Teach them how to become disciples. Baptize them by the authority of God the Father, his Son, and the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything that I have taught you. You can be sure that I will be with you always. I will be with you until the end of time” — Matthew 28:19–20 EASY.

This quote is important to me because it focuses in on my top priority, which is the authority of God, Christ and the Holy Spirit. This quote speaks to how we should be globally minded, show love and emit peace throughout the word. And this is something we should think about in the way we communicate with every single person, regardless of their stature, position, career choices, where they live in the world or where they were born.

Is there a person in the world, or in the U.S. with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why?

I would love to have a conversation with Warren Buffett. Specifically, I’d love to better understand his motivations, investment choices, and business insights, and learn more about his philanthropy. I’d also be curious to learn from him how he’s gotten to where he is today and his advice on affecting that kind of change in my own life.

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.


Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: Dr Nandi Leslie of Raytheon Technologies Engineering Fellow… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.