Society of Women Engineers Region i

Heather Doty, Region i Lieutenant Governor

Background

Heather Doty has worked as a structural engineer at Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. in Boulder, CO for the past eight years, most of which has been spent solving opto-mechanical challenges for the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to Hubble. She also works on research and development programs, weather satellites, and defense contracts for various customers.

Heather holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Civil Engineering, a Bachelor of Arts in Music, and expects to receive her Master of Business Administration in May 2010, all from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Why I Love SWE

SWE is the ultimate pay-it-forward organization. The intelligent, thoughtful, and talented women who have inspired and encouraged me through the years have been an invaluable source of support and friendship. I look forward to conferences each year to reconnect with the friends I have made over the years and to make new ones. I enjoy encouraging the next generation of engineers through outreach activities and working with the collegiate members.

SWE Experience

Heather is a senior life member of SWE. After writing a paper on Marie Curie in the 6th grade for the Rocky Mountain Section's Great Women in Engineering and Science Essay Contest and then receiving a Certificate of Merit as a high school senior, she joined the Society as a student at the University of Colorado at Boulder. (Our outreach programs do make a difference!) While in school, she was President (FY1998-1999) and Secretary of the student section. In SWE-RMS, Heather has held the roles of President (FY2010), Section Representative (FY2007), Vice President (FY2006), and Secretary (FY2004-2005), as well as SWE Counselor for the CU-Boulder section (FY2008-2010, 2002-2003). She has also served as Region Secretary (FY2009), Region Student Coordinator (FY2003-2005), as Counselor Coordinator on the national Collegiate Interests Committee (FY2006-2007), and on the planning committees for the 1997 and 2008 Region i Conferences. She was honored by SWE as the recipient of the 2007 Distinguished New Engineer Award and the 2008 Outstanding SWE Counselor Award.

Other Community Experience

Heather is also an accomplished musician, with talents as a flutist, singer, and Zimbabwean-style marimba player. She has served as a board member, officer, and fund-raiser for the Boulder Chorale, was the treasurer for the 2009 Zimbabwean Music Festival, and has volunteered at fund-raising events for African village relief. Doty is also a committed supporter of the Bonfils Blood Center (as a 52-time donor), a MentorNet online mentor for college women in engineering, and serves on a local school district's Project Lead the Way advisory panel.