Lisa Smagala used to be afraid of heights, until she took
a hot air balloon ride to challenge her fear. Guns made her nervous, so she went
to a shooting range to test a few out. When Smagala thought she was an awful
distance runner, she signed up for her first half marathon.
“I just like throwing myself into things,” said Smagala.
“The only way I fully understand something is to touch it and feel it, so
figuring out how things work and facing a problem head on is how I always
approach things.”
Smagala, currently the Systems Integration team leader within
the Advanced Design and Manufacturing Division’s Technology and Systems
Integration Branch, has used her no-fear personality and disciplined work ethic
to advance her skills as a systems engineer, bring success to her team and add
value to her many projects at the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center.
As a female team lead in a field historically driven by
males, Smagala never lets being the “small girl in the room” deter her from
immersing herself in a field that truly piqued her interest. “I really don’t
mind getting dirty, or climbing around the vehicles turning wrenches,” Smagala
said. “Although these days I don’t get to do it as much as I used to, that type
of work is what really excites me. I’m a hands on learner.”
Smagala has been in the systems engineering line of work for
more than 10 years, and spent her undergraduate years studying industrial
engineering.
“A majority of my studies and the jobs that I’ve held were
heavily male dominated,” Smagala said.
While she is used to the environment and feels comfortable
in the atmosphere, she has encountered some difficult attitudes from time to
time.
“Never at ECBC, but I have been in several situations where
male customers would ask another male questions even though I’m the person in
charge, or I may get treated differently. The best way I combat that is to just
show them what I am made of,” Smagala said. “Work ethic, good results, drive
and skill all speak on their own. While they may not ask me questions
initially, it doesn’t take long for them to realize that I am capable.”
Although Smagala, is someone who has always pushed herself,
hard work is a trait that comes naturally. A strong work ethic and building
relationships are the traits that Smagala thinks are essential to any
engineer’s career –male or female.
“You have to be committed to your job, be excited and want
to see you programs succeed,” Smagala said. “I try to instill that value in our
team to encourage members to work hard. Our Warfighters deserve a certain level
of service, and we need to be able to deliver on that.”
Smagala’s first foray into engineering was not unlike her approach
to conquering her fear of heights or challenging her ability to run long
distances - she took a head-first and hands-on approach. At just 18 years old,
Smagala worked a summer job at the General Motors (GM) factory assembly line
near her Delaware home. In her time with GM, Smagala started as a summer intern
and became a full time engineer by the time she graduated from the University
of Delaware with a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering.
“I stayed with GM for about seven years and really enjoyed
my job. Unfortunately the plant began to show signs of closing down, so I
couldn’t stay as long as I wanted,” Smagala said.
“It was because of the real exposure to the working world
an manufacturing that I found the field exciting and fast paced.”
After GM, Smagala ventured into a completely different
side of engineering and took on a job at WL Gore working with the company’s
fabric division as a part of their testing lab/ manufacturing support. The difference
between working on vehicles versus working with fabrics was immense to
her.“While it very different to transition from cars to fabric, I got a whole
new view of manufacturing through the work we did in the lab,” Smagala said.
Although Smagala enhanced her skills in Research and
Development, and learned a lot through the process, she wanted to manage more
than just a piece of the puzzle, so she started to pursue different
opportunities –especially when she met Kevin Wallace through a mutual friend.
Wallace,
Smagala said, always talked about the exciting work he did
at ECBC. It didn’t take Smagala too long to send Kevin her resume to see if
ECBC could be a good fit for her.
“I gave Kevin my resume and about six to eight months
later I got a call from the Advanced Design and Manufacturing Division inviting
me in for an interview,” Smagala said. During her time with ECBC Smagala said
she has truly pushed herself and really grown as an engineer.
High profile projects she worked on included the Buffalo
vehicle, the Joint Explosive Ordinance Disposal Rapid Response Vehicle
Surrogate (JERRV Surrogate) and the Husky Mounted Detection System Surrogate
(HMDSS). In addition to her projects, Smagala earned a Master’s of Business
Administration from Wilmington University, and a Master’s Degree in Systems
Engineering from The Johns Hopkins University all within three years, while
with ECBC.
“I just wanted to throw myself into it and complete all
the programs. I felt very encouraged by my coworkers here who work so hard and
are so passionate about what they do,” Smagala said. “I wanted to become more
well-rounded and do as much as I could to fully understand and appreciate every
opportunity.”
Smagala said her favorite project thus far with ECBC was
the work with the JERRV Surrogate, a training vehicle for the Joint Improvised
Explosives Defeat Organization. This was the first project that Smagala has had
the opportunity to work with from cradle to grave. “I have been involved with
JERRV from the start and I got to see it from the initial fielding, to
sustainment, training and enhancements for a fleet of 80 vehicles, so I feel a
personal tie with that one. We spent a lot of time with the Soldiers during
training and practical exercises and really got an inside look into their
needs.”
Traveling 90 minutes each way to get to ECBC every day,
Smagala uses the little free time she has to stay active in volleyball,
kickball, dodgeball leagues and participates in obstacle course races. While
her schedule can be stressful and exhausting at times, it is all worth it.
While her head first approach gets exhausting, Smagala
believes it is hard to get stressed when you’re having fun. “I get the
opportunity to not only do something I love, but do it next to some of the most
talented, intelligent people who are also enthusiastic about their jobs.”
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