A force of nature
IEEE WOMEN IN ENGINEERING MAGAZINE WINTER 2007/2008 18 07/$25.00©2007IEEE T The most rudimentary science course will tell you that hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe and water is a copious compound. Early mathematics teaches that 2+2=4. The beginning stages of both math and science lay the framework for problem solving, an art which Mary Petryszyn, vice president of civil security and response programs at Raytheon in Waltham, Massachusetts, has become quite adept. Petryszyn is a model for girls since her childhood love of math and science has led to a career as a celebrated engineer for a top defense company. “My career choices trace back to my interests in math and science and being able to create solutions from those basics,” explains Petryszyn. “That’s what I still do, only from a broader perspective.” As an executive at Raytheon, Petryszyn leads a business area focused on helping companies develop homeland security systems that join different types of services together. “There is really a need to ensure that we’re protecting our homeland,” she says, “and services really have to interact with one another.” As customers reorganize themselves, Petryszyn and her team aid in security by integrating solutions across all service lines.