From The Spectrum: Denise Gray, Engineer In Charge
The cover article for this month’s IEEE Spectrum (one of my top 5 magazines) features the human dynamo known as Denise Gray. Gray, the so-called “Battery Czar”, is General Motors’ Director of Hybrid Energy Storage Systems. Translated: she’s the head honcho in charge of saving GM’s bacon by developing a new generation of batteries for electric vehicles.
Toyota’s Prius leads the hybrid market, but GM wants to put itself in the running with the 2010 Chevy Volt. Gray’s job, according to author John Voelcker, is to “pick the right lithium-ion system” for the “extended-range electric vehicle” that will also be a plug-in hybrid.
While the article goes a bit overboard with the “humble beginnings” portion of the article - e.g. “Denise Gray had to take a city bus to her first job at GM” (she was in high school at the time) - it does explore her challenges and successes in a way that is informative as well as motivating. It’s definitely a must-read.
If you’re a member of the IEEE, and are receiving the hard copy of the Spectrum every month, be sure to also check out Susan Karlin’s article, “Qatar University Opens EE Doors to Women” on page 22. While Qatar may seem dramatically behind the times in terms of gender equality, its university is claiming an even 50/50 percentage split of men and women engineering students, which is substantially better than the United States.
The Spectrum is one of the best reasons to join the IEEE. If you’re in any way interested in electronics or any aspect of the field of electrical engineering, sign up!
Related posts:
- September Spectrum Is A Must-Read
- IEEE Spectrum, May 2008 Issue Available Online
- Who’s Got Real Tech? “Wired” Vs. IEEE’s “Spectrum”
- IEEE Spectrum’s Sally Adee on CERN’s LHC
- WomenInScience: IEEE Spectrum Radio Interviews Dr. Janna Levin
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