This article is part of SWE Magazine’s Spring 2017 Issue. To view it on your mobile device, download the SWE Magazine app! Download it on the App Store or get it on Google Play.
Currently the provost and executive vice president at Texas A&M University, Karan Watson, Ph.D., P.E., has served the university in many positions at the engineering and university levels. She is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the American Society for Engineering Education, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and ABET. A recipient of the United States President’s Award for Mentoring for encouraging women and minorities to succeed in STEM fields, Dr. Watson is an advocate for students. She has chaired the graduate committees of more than 30 doctoral students and more than 60 master’s degree students, and is known for “going the extra mile” to counsel those struggling to complete their programs.
Dr. Watson joined the faculty at Texas A&M in 1983, and is also a Regents Professor in the department of electrical and computer engineering, and in the department of computer science and engineering. She is known as a wonderful speaker and engaging storyteller, honoring her Native American heritage.
In addition to her academic responsibilities, she conducts workshops in conflict management. Dr. Watson received her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from Texas Tech University, all in electrical engineering.
Who Are the Women Engineers We Should Know?
Quite often, those who are behind the scenes and out of the limelight make real change in the workplace and in our communities. It is our intention to recognize such women and make their efforts better known in our SWE Magazine series “Women Engineers You Should Know.”
Casting a wide net, SWE Magazine staff and editorial board members seek contemporary women whose lives have embodied the Society’s mission to: “Stimulate women to achieve full potential in careers as engineers and leaders, expand the image of the engineering profession as a positive force for improving the quality of life, and demonstrate the value of diversity.”
Through a variety of means, including fielding suggestions and conducting archival research, we will examine the stories of many women who have made a difference in these critical areas. Determining a final list is a daunting challenge, and our selections are in no way meant to be definitive. While some names you may recognize, many are not recognizable to most people. From a variety of perspectives, in different environments and moments in time, these women represent “ordinary” when doing “extraordinary” things. In saluting them, we are saluting all the women, known and unknown, past and present, who have advanced our mission.
Nominate women engineers to know for our next article. The deadline for submission of names is December 15, 2017. Submit nominations here.
With each submission, please include the following.
- Nominee info: name, why her, links supporting your nomination, areas of expertise, where is she located
- Nominator info: name, email, how you know the nominee
Thanks for your help, and look for the Spring 2018 issue of SWE Magazine.
