Photo By Master Sgt. Jaime Ciciora | This is a graphic representation of a Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Pacific...... read more read more
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This month, Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Pacific leadership announced a Center recipient for a Career Communications Group’s (CCG) 2023 Women of Color Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Technology All-Star award: Wanda Lam, a systems engineer from the Command & Control and Enterprise Engineering Department.
Technology All-Stars are accomplished women of color in mid-level to advanced stages of their careers with more than 15 years of experience. Awardees are chosen for their excellence in their workplaces and communities.
As the lead for a high-visibility program supporting a Chief of Naval Operations-level effort to provide Naval Operational Architecture to the entire fleet, Lam is responsible for “the management, coordination, team design, process improvement, and efficiency in support of implementing NIWC Pacific’s strategic goals,” said Mike McMillan, NIWC Pacific executive director.
“Ms. Lam led the United States Marine Corps Common Hosting Environment effort and provided engineering and policy guidance. Ms. Lam brought together the best capabilities of industry and the Department of Defense to reset the way the Navy securely delivers new software. The consequences of this effort are revolutionary, reducing software integration and delivery times from months and years, to days and weeks.”
Lam says she’s honored to receive the recognition. “This award is very special to me, especially when I read about the CCG’s unique mission and their awards. To me, it is not an individual recognition but a reflection of who we are and what we do at NIWC Pacific. We are a multi-cultural and diversified community of high performing scientists, engineers, financial analysts, and support specialists who are striving for success. We bring technologies and capabilities to the warfighter. I am honored to be selected in this category for 2023. I am thankful for my leadership who believed in me and other women at NIWC Pacific.”
When asked to clarify her role, Lam said, “my ‘official’ title is computer scientist. Currently, I am a systems engineer. Systems engineering focuses on designing, integrating, and managing complex systems over their lifecycles. That is exactly what I do. The system could be single purpose or a system of systems with thousands of users. And that’s the fun of working at NIWC Pacific. We have an infinite number of systems to work on based on your area of interest.”
Lam started her STEM career at the Center as a front-end developer within the software development field for eight years before transitioning to the systems engineering field. She has worked with all armed forces, multiple DOD and federal agencies, as well as industry partners since joining NIWC Pacific, where she started as a contractor for two years before transitioning to civil service in 1994.
“The people and culture at NIWC Pacific are the main reasons for me to love what I am doing. But what inspires me every day is seeing that my small contribution is being used by the people in the first line of defense for our country.”
NIWC Pacific’s mission is to conduct research, development, engineering, and support of integrated command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, cyber, and space systems across all warfighting domains, and to rapidly prototype, conduct test and evaluation, and provide acquisition, installation, and in-service engineering support.
| Date Taken: | 07.20.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 07.19.2023 21:50 |
| Story ID: | 449587 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 207 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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