2009

Alumni voices

Heidi Perry
Director, Independent Research & Development program, Draper Laboratory (2005)

Update: “I have moved on from my division leader responsibility to a position as the director of Draper’s Independent Research & Development program. I love this assignment not only because I am responsible for Draper’s ~$25 million investment in future technology, but because I have the opportunity to work with a diverse group of scientists and engineers at the lab and our collaborating universities. With my charter is to align short-term seedlings, mid-range projects and large scale corporate thrusts, I truly feel part of the managment team.”

Opportunities: “Last October, MIT Media Lab director Frank Moss gave a rousing speech on innovation. He noted that over the last few decades, game-changing technologies were invented during downturns in economic activity. In such times, people have the downtime (or opportunity) to think differently. Rather than taking the traditional path, engineers might try something new and redefine their path. I think women are particularly creative at redefining their future.

Wendy Frey Caswell
President and CEO, ZINK Imaging Inc. (2008)

Update: “My focus continues to be the success of Zink Imaging. The company has continued to win awards. We also continue to make significant progress with our business model, including partnership announcements.”

Opportunities: “As a company that is committed to partnerships across the globe, it is increasingly important to hire people with a global perspective, including the understanding of business practices and cultures and multilingual capabilities.”

Hollie Schmidt
VP of scientific operations, Accelerated Cure Project for MS (2005)

Update: “The MS repository that we were just starting when I received the award now has nearly 1,500 participants from all over the country who have donated blood and information. We have entered into partnerships with several commercial and nonprofit organizations, and have provided samples and/or data to support 18 different research efforts. My focus now is on reaching to investigators working in key fields to encourage collaboration involving use of the repository.”

Rachel Meyers
Director, research, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. (2007)

Update: “Coincident with the receipt of the Woman to Watch award, I received recognition as one of R&D Directions’ top 20 researchers. I have continued my efforts to develop an RNAi therapeutic for the treatment of the viral infection respiratory syncytial virus, RSV. In addition, I have taken on the responsibility of building a department focused on lead development of RNAi therapeutic candidates.”

Opportunities: “I am not sure what new opportunities exist for women, as the climate is quite challenging right now. We all need to take stock of what we have and make the best out of our situation.”

Sadiye Guler
CEO, intuVision Inc. (2008)

Update: “My company’s customer base and business grew over the last year. We are developing new technologies for video soft biometry and exploring new applications in education for our technologies.

“The most rewarding experience for me was a keynote speech I gave on women in engineering at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where over 100 female high school students attended. The overarching goal of this program and the career day is to promote female students to pursue careers in science and engineering, a subject I feel very strongly about. Their reception was gratifying, their curiosity was sincere, and questions were shrewd.

Opportunities: “I guess I am a little biased, but I think science and technology careers will create better opportunities for women and men alike as the awareness and demand for technologies such as alternative energy, smart buildings and infrastructure, safer, cleaner, more efficient transportation, biotech and many others increase.”

View all Women to Watch articles on masshightech.com »

See a list of all past Women to Watch, 2004-2009 ↓

View Past Honorees: 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004

2009 Honorees
Jill Becker – Cambridge NanoTech Inc.
Sangeeta Bhatia – Hepregen Corp.
Amy Cueva – Mad*Pow Media Solutions LLC
Heather De Jesus – Azima DLI
Anna Mracek Dietrich – Terrafugia Inc.
Sandra Glucksmann – Cerulean Pharma Inc.
Susan Leschine – Qteros Inc.
Ronnie Maffa – IBM Corp.
Mondira Pant – Intel Corp.
Yvonne Spicer – National Center for Technological Literacy at the Museum of Science
2008 Honorees
Afsana Akhter – Medullan Inc.
Wendy Frey Caswell – Zink Imaging Inc.
Sylvie Grégoir – Shire Human Genetic Therapies
Sadiye Guler – intuVision Inc.
Heather Healy – EMC Corp.
Deborah Louis – Authoria Inc.
Beth Marcus – Zeemote Inc.
Christine Miska – BAE Systems Inc.
Amanda Parkes – Bodega Algae LLC
Ellen Piccioli – Massachusetts Microelectronic Design Center, Intel Corp.
2007 Honorees
Deya Corzo – Genzyme Corp.
Mary Lynne Hedley – MGI Pharma Inc.
Asa Kalavade – Tatara Systems Inc.
Christina Lampe-Önnerud – Boston-Power Inc.
Paula Long – EqualLogic Inc.
Rachel Meyers – Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Stefania Nappi – PreferredTime Inc.
Mira Sahney – Myomo Inc.
Karen Tegan Padir – Sun Microsystems Inc.
Angela Zapata – The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory
2006 Honorees
Susan Scheer Aoki – Cisco Systems Inc.
Janice Arcari – EMC Corp.
Heather Blease – Broadband Solutions Inc.
Suzette Braun – The Stop & Shop Supermarket Co., Ahold USA
Karen Donoghue – Motorola Inc.
Ellen Ferraro – Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems
Linda Fuhrman – Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc.
Susie Kim Riley – Camiant Inc.
Regina Valluzzi – Evolved Nanomaterial Sciences Inc.
Julianne Zimmerman – GreenFuel Technologies Corp.
2005 Honorees
Angela Belcher – MIT
Margrit Betke – Boston University Computer Science department
Anne Marie Biernacki – The Digiticians
Vicki Ann Frawley – Target Software Inc.
Heidi Perry – Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc.
Elizabeth Ricci – Authoria Inc.
Hollie Schmidt – Boston Cure Project for MS
Paula Soteropoulos – Genzyme Corp.
Lorraine Wheeler – Botzam Inc.
Lijun Wu – Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research Inc.
2004 Honorees
Susan Adams – Comcast Corp.
Amy Duwel – Charles Stark Draper Laboratory
Jana Eggers – Intuit Inc.
Dawn Fitzgerald – Chipwrights Inc.
Reema Gupta – EMC Corp.
Julie LeMoine – U C How
Fanny Mlinarsky – Azimuth Systems
Suja Ramnath – M/A-Com Inc. a division of Tyco International
Weng Tao – Neurotech USA
Mary Ellen Zurko – IBM Software Group

Advisory Committee

Mass High Tech, along with Trish Fleming, executive director of the MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge, and James M. Connolly, associate editor of Mass High Tech – co-chairs of the Women to Watch advisory committee – and Michelle Lang, Mass High Tech associate editor – digital, would like to express their thanks to the committee members who helped in making the difficult decisions when faced with the large number of submissions for this year’s Women to Watch roster.

Become a Sponsor »