At Intel, we walk the talk when it comes to gender equity in career growth. While we do see more women in STEM today than ever before, their participation is often restricted to select roles. We spoke to a few women at Intel India who broke away from limitations and shaped their own paths in non-traditional roles like Thermal Engineering, Logic Design and Natural Language Processing.
Here are their stories, in their own words:
”As a thermal engineer specializing in heat transfer and fluid dynamics, I drive innovative thermal designs for mobile devices — with a focus on heat transfer and the two-phase phenomenon in electronic cooling. The work I do helps maximize Intel’s SoC performance and make PCs cool, quiet and performant to further enhance user experience.
During my academic research, I was fascinated by the many unsolved problems in the field and decided to pursue my doctorate. The great support from my managers and senior leaders at Intel has taken me from being a fresh engineer to a thermal analyst. Currently, I lead the thermal design and customer engagement for reference platforms. Working on products integrating Intel® hardware and helping them achieve maximum performance with our innovative approach towards electronics cooling drives me to pursue excellence every day.”
Breaking Barriers in STEM
”The gender gap in technology is certainly shrinking, but it remains a significant hurdle in non-traditional fields like mechanical and thermal, be it in academics or the industry. Intel is leading the way forward with a commitment to diversity that offers opportunities for women across all levels and domains.
Women in male-dominated teams must advocate for themselves to ensure their ideas are heard and taken seriously. Mentors and managers play a key role in helping build that confidence. So, I would recommend proactively reaching out to leaders or technical experts on your own. You will be surprised how willing people are to help!”
Paving the Way Forward
”I'm working towards innovating for a better experience in notebooks and helping regain Intel's leadership position in the client computing industry. Being someone passionate about this field, I continue to work towards inspiring and guiding more women to pursue STEM roles as their career choices. ”
My Story
”I develop software solutions in artificial intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP), as well as evangelizing Intel® AI solutions to customers. Originally a computer science engineer, I started out writing compilers in 2001, before switching to AI/NLP in 2014. I was drawn to work on technology applications that address real-world challenges. Being able to contribute to this space gives me an enormous sense of satisfaction.”
Breaking Barriers in STEM
”Increasingly, women technologists are taking the lead as CTOs and CEOs. Intel actively supports an inclusive technologist culture, with incredible women leaders like Sandra Rivera (Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Data Center and AI Group) and Nivruti Rai (Country Head, Intel India and Vice President and General Manager of Automotive Solutions Group within Intel Foundry Services) setting the tone. I’m also very excited to see women technologists at the helm of emerging startups, a sure sign of diversity and inclusion in growing areas of innovation.
Although women’s representation in STEM is rising, there is a very distinct urban bias. I am an advocate for Intel’s initiatives in imparting technology education programs for rural women, where we provide specialized courses in computer science and AI for rural girl students.”
Paving the Way Forward
”It is both a privilege and a challenge to be at the forefront of the AI revolution. I have been fortunate to have mentors and managers whose guidance has made this possible for me. I aim to pay it forward by empowering more women technologists within Intel and the wider computer science ecosystem.”
”I oversee the management of Logic, Verification and Firmware teams as part of the IPG-AITC organization. Guiding a team of exceptional engineers in developing industry-leading DDR PHY IPs is a fulfilling endeavor. I thrive on solving engineering challenges to innovate cutting-edge IPs and shaping careers.”
Breaking Barriers in STEM
”Over the past decade, I have witnessed a significant increase in the number of women pursuing STEM fields. At Intel, I have witnessed an unwavering commitment to enhancing gender diversity across all levels. With such focused efforts from senior leadership, supported by the right mentorship, we can achieve greater gender equality in the industry.
It is crucial to overcome unconscious bias and provide equal opportunities for women, starting with internships and entry-level positions. At the same time, we must not lose sight of the fact that meritocracy is of utmost importance. We mustn’t view the growth of woman engineers in their careers solely as diversity targets. Leading gender-diverse teams has reinforced my belief that diversity is a vital ingredient in creating successful, meritocratic and innovative teams. We also need to continue sensitizing our workforce through seminars, training and by setting an example. ”
Paving the Way Forward
”It is encouraging to see premier colleges worldwide offering specialized courses to empower women in leadership roles. Personally, attending such a course at the Indian School of Business Hyderabad last year allowed me to blend my engineering thought process with management principles, which was truly gratifying.
I feel blessed to have exceptional mentors, a supportive peer group and an excellent team. This inspires me to build the next cutting-edge memory PHY solution at Intel. My motto is to build for innovation while executing with efficiency and inspiring bright engineering minds to reach their true potential.”
Intel’s Commitment to Creating a Diverse Workplace
As we usher in a new era of technology, we at Intel believe it is essential to create a culture of inclusion, diversity, support and equity in STEM workplaces, where every employee feels a sense of belonging. By breaking barriers, challenging biases and nurturing diverse talent, we are committed to fostering an empowering culture. To explore exciting career possibilities with Intel India, visit https://jobs.intel.com/en/countries-India.