Paving the Way for Women in STEM

Women worldwide are changing the face of STEM – and Emerson is proud to have an organization of talented women making their own mark on science, technology, engineering and math.

We are spotlighting a woman who continues to innovate and break barriers in the STEM and corporate worlds: Emily Thomas. Read more as Emily describes her journey in the world of STEM.

Tell us a little about your current position at Emerson.

Emily: I am the director of shared services within the power and water solutions business unit where I lead our cybersecurity, educational services, product support team and global service center to ensure customer success. Together, we help transform the way we deliver value to customers via software and services subscriptions and higher value services. To enable this, we are transforming our business, processes and culture to foster innovation, global empowerment and collaboration. As the lead DCS supplier for the power and water industry in North America, we “keep the lights” on and help protect our customer’s critical infrastructure. My main job every day is ensuring that the processes through which we deliver value to customers and the climate that our employees experience is optimized.

How would you describe your journey from college to where you are now as a black female engineer?

Emily: I went to Purdue University for my undergrad, which is one of the best engineering schools in the world. There weren’t a lot of people that looked like me; I was the one black female engineer that graduated in my class of 2016. My family was a huge support system, but I also found community in resources that Purdue had, like the National Society of Black Engineers, the American Institute for Chemical Engineers or different mentorship programs. As I transferred to Emerson, I was around people who are still very different from me. We have a lot of similarities, but there are also differences we should cherish and champion as we work together.

What got you interested in the world of STEM?

Emily: I was very intrigued as a child in science. I love to understand how things work and why they work. What I loved about my field is really the philosophy of engineering. I always say engineers ask, ‘Why not?’ whereas scientists always ask, ‘Why?’ We are always looking for possibilities and opportunities on how to make things better and trying to solve critical problems. My background in chemical engineering is all about process, improvements and understanding the molecules and how they affect things on the microlevel, but still have a macro-level impact.

What advice would you give to the young girls pursuing science all around the world?

Emily: Stay curious and continue to have confidence. That is the thing I think every young woman, young girl should have. Make sure you are always curious about the world around you, because that’s what we do as scientists, engineers, even those in mathematics and technology. We will not be able to get those life-changing ideas out if we do not have the confidence to believe that we deserve to be in the spaces we are in and if we don’t believe our voices, thoughts and ideas are worthy to be heard.

How do you try to advocate at Emerson for change to push forward inclusion in the world of STEM?

Emily: What I love about Emerson is that, if you see a problem, typically you can just raise your hand to help solve it. There have been so many initiatives that I’ve just done and used my advocacy to help drive. For example, we didn’t have a solid way to help recruit diverse talent, so I used my position to help bring together the necessary people to help create strategy to do so. Emerson provides space for people who are passionate about something to dive into that arena and drive change.

What’s something that keeps you motivated in your journey being in STEM?

Emily: The emerging technology is what keeps me motivated in STEM. There’s always something new to look forward to. The industries that we have served for such a long time are ever-changing. I can’t wait to see how the new wave of technology transitions to our plants, the new industrial IOT coming out, and how we as an organization keep leading. We have the people, the technology and the products – and if we don’t move, it’s almost like the industry may not move because we are usually number one or number two. It’s invigorating to be part of a company that has such great market share and leading position. It’s up to us to lead the charge in technology.