MISSISSIPPI
Vickie Johnson ’87
Material quality manager, Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems

When she decided to become an engineer, Vickie Johnson (B.S.E.E. ’87) wasn’t deterred by the fact that few people in industry looked like her.

“I have been a woman in the engineering field for nearly 30 years,” she says. “I navigate this by remaining focused on two things: doing the best job that I am capable of, and continuing to learn. These two things will always garner the respect of those who are forward thinking enough to realize superficial qualities such as race or gender don’t matter when it comes to the work at hand.”

Johnson is a material quality manager with Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems, charged with improving the company’s quality and efficiency.

She acknowledges that the engineering industry wasn’t always welcoming to people of different races or genders, but says the field is changing.

“To open-minded individuals, there’s no time for petty things that will only get in the way of doing the job and achieving outstanding results,” Johnson says. “I have to say that today there are a lot more people who truly value diversity than back in the eighties when I entered the engineering field.”

Johnson first heard about engineering from a math professor her freshman year. At UMKC, she says, her love for the field really took off.

“I began to really understand the concepts being taught,” she says. “I loved the engineering classes at UMKC. The professors were great and very helpful whenever I had questions.”

She has one major piece of advice for aspiring female engineers.

“Push on and stay determined, even in the face of adversity, because it will be worth it.”