Vanessa Aponte Williams (AeroEngr’06) is a stand out volunteer and proud alumna from the College of Engineering and Applied Science. In 2016, Williams received the College of Engineering and Applied Science Recent Alumni Award for her career achievements, community service, and remaining involved with the college as a volunteer. The award is handed out once a year to a single recipient and is the college’s highest honor bestowed to its recent graduates. Williams currently works for Lockheed Martin as the Senior Manager for Human Spaceflight Exploration Lead, but that has not stopped her from remaining an active alumni volunteer, serving on several boards and committees, most notably, the Engineering Advisory Council, the Aerospace External Advisory Board, and the Recent Alumni Award Selection Committee. We had a chance to sit down with Williams to learn a bit more about her distinguished career path and the impact she has had as a volunteer.
You hold two degrees in chemical engineering but transitioned into aerospace engineering for your PhD. When did you know that you wanted to pursue a career in aerospace, and why did you choose the PhD program at CU Boulder?
I knew I wanted to pursue a career in aerospace since I was in high school, but in Puerto Rico, that was not an option. Since we had no aerospace programs at the only engineering school in the island, I went for my second passion, which was chemistry, and mixed it up with engineering, since I loved applied sciences.
I came to CU Boulder in 1996 as an undergraduate and did the SMART Program (Summer Minority Access to Research Training) during the summer under the mentorship of Dean Rob Davis (who was the head of the ChemE Department at the time), and that summer, I met the crew of STS-77 while debriefing on flying a BioServe payload. I walked away dreaming of being an astronaut and decided that I wanted to pursue grad school.
Four years later, I chose to come back to CU as a PhD student after being granted a GEM Fellowship to work at NASA Dryden. Despite being accepted into Purdue and Georgia Tech, who were higher-ranked at the time, I felt CU aerospace and Boulder presented the perfect balance between relevant research in bioastronautics and opportunities to live a fun life. Looking back at my high school yearbook, I found that my assigned future career was “Chemical Engineer at NASA.” Little did I know that I would actually earn an official degree in aerospace!
In 2016, you won the CEAS Recent Alumni Award. What did it mean to you to receive this kind of recognition? You have also been involved as a Recent Alumni Award selection committee member – can you speak to the quality of the nominees each year and what has it been like to be involved with the selection process?
To receive the CEAS Recent Alumni Award felt surreal. After understanding the quality of people that had previously received this award and who my peers were during the selection, I felt honored and proud to have properly represented the CU Boulder name. As an RAA recipient, I was given the opportunity to participate in the selection process for the past three years. I have been blown away by the quality of individuals and the amazing, world-impacting careers that these recent alumni have had in such a short time. Every year, it has gotten harder and harder to downselect, and the behind-the-scenes discussions with the selection committee have been fun and invigorating. I look forward every year to selection time and see it as an opportunity to recognize and elevate the impact of hard-working CU alumni.
You served as a member of the Engineering Advisory Council, which helps advise the dean and college leadership team. Were there any memorable experiences, programs or initiatives you took part in as a member of the EAC?
I served as a member of the Engineering Advisory Council for five years. During that time, I participated in many initiatives, not only meant to improve the quality of education of the students, but also to improve their experience as a whole person within the school of engineering. I have many cherished memories of students that presented their work to the council, as well as the very intense discussions among the council members on important topics ranging from subjects like diversity and increasing representation, to expanding facilities and improving the quality of the educational spaces as the number of incoming student classes increased. I am most proud of the construction of the Aerospace Engineering Building and the “Be Boulder” campaign, as I participated in the ideation process as well as collaborated on how both would come to fruition.
You now serve on the Aerospace Advisory Board. Why has it been important for you to give back to CEAS and remain connected to the department where you received your degree?
Being able to serve in the Aerospace Advisory Board, after being in the aerospace Industry for 18 years, is simply fun. I feel empowered with knowledge and have a deep desire to give back to the department that gave me such a strong foundation to be successful in my field. I love engaging with the students and hearing how things have changed for the better, as well as some of the new challenges they face, some which are very different from the ones I faced when I was a student over a decade ago.
What would you say to encourage engineering alumni who are considering whether to volunteer with their alma mater?
There is no bigger satisfaction than to give back to the school that gave us the opportunity to grow in brains and in life experiences! I see every minute of time that I spend at CU as an investment in the future. By remaining engaged, I have seen the evolution of traditional programs into global-impact collaborations across fields: first as grassroot initiatives, many times started by students, then turned into respected programs that attract new generations of more diverse and creative talent that simply want to make a difference. Staying engaged is fun, and giving is contagious. When you start engaging at CU as a professional, you cannot help but feel inspired. Making a donation is not the only way to give: taking time to share your story with the students makes a difference. Remember how you felt when you were an undergraduate and what you wished you had been told and be that mentor. Dare to be Boulder and change the lives of thousands of students! Go Buffs!
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