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Stuart Garfield
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
2010 Women to Watch
Raytheon's Lauren Crews fills in gaps of defense tech R&D
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Lauren Crews
Technology Coordinator, Raytheon Co.
Education: Bachelor’s degree, aerospace engineering, University of Maryland College Park. Master’s degree, aeronautical engineering, MIT. Ph.D., aeronautical engineering, MIT
Noteworthy: She has made significant contributions to radar programs for the defense of the U.S. She was instrumental in the design of the radome for the SPY-3 Engineering Demonstration Model radar; she led the thermal analysis of Transmit/Receive Integrated Multichannel Module for the THAAD radar; and she led the team defining ship interface requirements for Cobra Judy Replacement mission equipment.
And more: She gave the keynote address at the 2007 Women in Science and Math Conference, an event for girls in grades 6-8; volunteered with Raytheon Girls’ Leadership Summit; and gave a talk on “10 Things You Should Know About Earning a Ph.D.” for high school students.
Getting hooked on materials engineering
When she was at the University of Maryland, a professor explained how a helicopter’s framework absorbed the impact of a crash. “The structure would be lost, but the occupants would be protected. I guess that’s pretty standard, but at the time I was pretty wowed by it.” After gaining a Ph.D., researching composites for airplanes, she discovered a different kind of fascination — the kind managing entire projects can provide.
Career growth
Her work at Raytheon taught her to look beyond the engineer’s challenge of unraveling a single problem, and to see how every component of an engineering project fits together. She now runs Integrated Defense Systems’ internal research and development program. “We’ve looked ahead to what business we want to be in and have figured out what some of the technology gaps are, and these projects have aimed directly at some of those technology gaps.”
“I like being part of a big team. The systems that we design here are so capable and so complex that it takes a big team to pull it all together, and I like having that global point of view to where you can see the different parts that have come together.”
Girls and engineering
“Thinking back to where I was in 7th grade, it was the first time where students were really given a choice about the classes they took. One of my best friends and I were two of the only girls who opted for wood shop rather than cooking. I still can’t cook.” But she calls her husband a great cook.
“I liked learning how to do stuff. When it came to choosing engineering I liked the practical application of math and science, the idea of fixing a problem. I had some really talented girlfriends. I’m not the only engineer among us. My parents were very supportive.”
Thoughts on Crews, from Ellen Ferraro, Director of Engineering Operations for Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems
What makes her special: “She holds a Ph.D. in aeronautical engineering but she was willing to step outside of her comfort zone and go to work for our corporate offices, and now she is leading our internal research and development efforts at IDS.”
What drives her: “She’s very committed and dedicated, but she’s also very humble and modest. She doesn’t come in and state her credentials and think that that will earn her respect. She earns respect by what she does every day in leading by example.”
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