In the world of engineering, Latinas have not only made great strides, but have also shattered stereotypes and glass ceilings. Their resilience, creativity, and dedication have paved the way for future generations of women in STEM. These mujeres (women) have played a crucial role in driving innovation, diversity, and progress in their fields.
As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, let’s take a moment to celebrate and acknowledge just a few Latina engineers who are making a difference in our community and pushing boundaries in their fields.
Evelyn Cortez-Davis (she/her): El Salvador
Evelyn Cortez-Davis, P.E., BCEE, is the chief of staff for the Water System at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the largest municipal utility in the U.S. She has over 30 years of water industry experience in the areas of engineering design, planning, pipeline construction, asset management, water operations, recycled water, water supply, conservation, groundwater remediation, and environmental compliance. As the chief of staff supporting LADWP’s CEO and chief engineer, Cortez-Davis supports enterprise-wide strategic initiatives, including performance management, process improvements, sustainability initiatives, equity strategies, and culture management. Prior to this role, she was the first Latina to serve as LADWP director of water engineering, overseeing the planning, design, and delivery of major infrastructure projects to supply reliable water to the 4 million people of the City of Los Angeles. She has also served as the assistant director of water resources and was the first woman to serve as assistant director of water operations. She has served on the Colorado River Board of California, on the board of directors of the National Water Research Institute, and the board of trustees of WateReuse California. Cortez-Davis earned a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from UCLA and was the first person in her family to graduate from college. She helped launch the LADWP’s chapters of SWE and SHPE to support its employees and influence the next generation of engineers and STEM professionals. In 2005 she also published her book, “December Sky: Beyond My Undocumented Life,” which chronicles her family’s immigration story from El Salvador, including her fear of living as an undocumented student and her journey to U.S. citizenship. She said she hopes her experience can help those in despair to find courage. Catch Evelyn at WE24 where she will be speaking about “Finding Harmony in Engineering and Motherhood.”
Mileyca Oporta (she/her): Costa Rica
Mileyca “Mile” Oporta is a dedicated mother and a passionate electronics engineer with a specialization in the aerospace industry. A proud Costa Rican professional, Mileyca is trilingual and currently works at NI, part of the new Emerson Business Unit, where she has accumulated a decade of experience in transnational companies.
Mileyca is deeply committed to advancing STEM education, particularly for minority and underrepresented students in vulnerable communities. Her passion for social impact drives her involvement in numerous STEM initiatives. As the leader of the Costa Rica chapter of SWE and a SWE global ambassador, she plays a pivotal role in empowering women in engineering.
An accomplished public speaker, Mileyca is an active member of Toastmasters, delivering speeches on engineering challenges, the importance of volunteering, and the critical role of women in STEM. Her enthusiasm for aerospace fuels her involvement in activities related to New Space, and she is also an advocate for science communication (SciComms).
Beyond her professional achievements, Mileyca is committed to building communities that address the challenges of motherhood and the STEM field, combining her passions to make a lasting impact.
Daniela Keverline (she/her): Venezuela
Daniela Keverline is a passionate environmental engineer committed to promoting environmental and sustainability awareness. She currently serves as the social media committee chair for SWE’s Houston Area section for FY25, where she demonstrates her creative approach to engaging with new audiences.
She is especially dedicated to continuous learning, participating in advanced training programs, industry certifications, and leadership development workshops to stay at the forefront of industry trends. With this focus, she established SWEnergy, where she also serves as lead for FY25. SWEnergy is a local focus group initiative that promotes the participation and professional growth of women in sustainability and energy transition.
In her professional life, Daniela has expertise in environmental health and safety (EHS) protocols and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting. Her work emphasizes the integration of environmental considerations into corporate strategies, ensuring that companies contribute to sustainability development goals (SDGs).
Outside of her professional and SWE commitments, Daniela enjoys being a wife, big sister, and daughter. She loves exploring the outdoors, volunteering for environmental causes, and inspiring young women to pursue careers in STEM.
Alejandra Camacho, PhD (she/her): Mexico
Dr. Alejandra Camacho is an accomplished professional with a robust academic background and diverse experience spanning cutting-edge roles in materials science, engineering, business development, and patent prosecution. With a career marked by impactful contributions, this Mexican-born ingeniera has excelled in many roles, from developing growth plans for specialty chemicals companies and creating training programs for the promotion of natural products to using her materials knowledge to solve production issues that cause product defects costing hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Alejandra’s tenure in multiple industries, including microelectronics, personal care, and chemicals companies, has involved pioneering research efforts. These include developing claim substantiation methodologies and testing strategies to study the interactions of cosmetic products with hair and skin using in-situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM), mechanical testing, and other surface characterization techniques. Her accomplishments have resulted in her inclusion in leading peer-reviewed and industry publications.
In her current role at Marshall, Gerstein & Borun, Alejandra helps scientists and engineers protect their innovations by drafting patents and following up throughout the prosecution process. She has been fortunate to work with inventors at several universities, national laboratories, and companies of different sizes.
Alejandra’s skillset extends beyond technical prowess, encompassing client relationship development, team leadership, and multilingual proficiency in Spanish and French. Her active involvement in professional organizations, such as the Microscopy Society of America (MSA), the WIB-Chicago chapter, and the Society of Women Engineers Latinos Affinity Group, underscore her commitment to industry growth and networking.
Alejandra is passionate about helping the new generation of ingenieras discover their passions and the many paths down which a STEM career can lead them.
Erika Algutria (she/her): Ecuador
Erika Algutria is a manager, technical pioneer, subject matter expert, and a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) leader at Northrop Grumman Corporation. As a structural design manager, Erika leads a team of vehicle engineers to define possible for the first sixth-generation aircraft ever made, the B-21 bomber. The B-21 is a long-range, highly survivable, penetrating strike stealth bomber that will incrementally replace legacy bombers and will play a major role supporting national security objectives and assuring U.S. allies and partners across the globe. Erika’s technical leadership and innovation goes beyond the B-21 as she has also led technical development of various military aircraft both in the United States and abroad! Some of her military aircraft achievements include the F/A-18 E/F/G Super Hornet, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and the E-8C Joint STARS. Her love for aviation and physics was motivated by her high school professor. Erika also prides herself in making our Latino community a better place, and in 2021 she joined the newly established Mujeres Initiative, where she helped develop a culture in which Latinas at Northrop Grumman could elevate themselves from early career engineers to executives. Erika received a Bachelor of Science in both aeronautical engineering and mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering through Florida Institute of Technology.
To learn more about the Mujeres Initiative, check out this All Together blog post.
The Latinos Affinity Group (AG) is for SWE members who identify as Latino, are of Hispanic or Latin American heritage, or are allies of this community. Are you a Hispanic/Latina Engineer or an ally? Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Linktree. You can also subscribe to our AG’s updates by logging into your member portal and editing your Communication Preferences.
