Letter from the Editor: The Beauty of Indirect Trajectories

June 1, 2021 by Karen Panetta

There is a predominant myth that the path to success is the shortest line between two points. Although mathematically this is true, it doesn’t mean it is true for our lives. Unfortunately, myths and fiction have longer lifelines than facts. Every successful woman we have ever profiled in IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine has never followed any direct trajectory. Everyone’s career path is as diverse as our interests, life experiences, and personal goals.

For more about this article see link below.

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9424738

For the open access PDF link of this article please click here.

Karen Panetta

Karen Panetta (Fellow, IEEE) received the B.S. degree in computer engineering from Boston University, Boston, MA, USA, in 1985, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Northeastern University, Boston, in 1987 and 1994, respectively.

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IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine is the first magazine to focus on issues facing women who study or work in IEEE’s fields of interest.

IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine strives to recognize women’s outstanding achievements in electrical and electronics engineering as well as enhance networking and to promote membership in IEEE Women in Engineering.

The publication also advocates for women in leadership roles and career advancement for women in STEM professions, and it facilitates the development of programs and activities that promote the entry into and retention of women in engineering programs.

Engineering the Magic

When the Enchanted Tiki Room opened at Disney-land in Anaheim, Calif., in 1963, it was, by all accounts, thrilling. Inside were dozens of talking flowers, totem poles, and birds-colorful macaws, toucans, and cockatoos-and together they per-formed a musical show by dancing and singing along to tunes like the “Hawaiian War Chant.” Huge crowds visited the attraction, excited to get a look at these early Audio-Animatronics-“audio” meaning that sound triggered a series of mechanisms, like cams and levers, that caused a pneumatic valve to open and close, moving an eye, a beak, or part of the body in time with the music. People loved them.

Karen Panetta

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