audio by title jan williams interview

Jan Williams, a member of the Society of Women Engineers Central New Mexico Section, discusses the difficulties of being the primary caretaker for her children while working as an engineer and manager at Sandia National Laboratories, and how familial responsibilities affected the progress of her career.

This oral history interview was recorded October 14, 2009 at the Society of Women Engineers WE09 Annual Conference in Long Beach, California, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Jan Williams talks about the nontraditional route she took to become an engineer, after first receiving a degree in Spanish. She describes her experiences as a reentry engineering student while working and raising a family in the 1980s. Williams is an engineering manager at Sandia National Laboratories and a Fellow of the Society of Women Engineers.

This oral history interview was recorded October 14, 2009 at the Society of Women Engineers WE09 Annual Conference in Long Beach, California, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.

Jan Williams explains that she became so involved in the Society of Women Engineers because she did not have many role models or mentors when she first started her career. She talks about the importance of outreach projects to young women and children to help them understand what engineers do. Williams is an engineering manager at Sandia National Laboratories and a Fellow of the Society of Women Engineers.

This oral history interview was recorded October 14, 2009 at the Society of Women Engineers WE09 Annual Conference in Long Beach, California, as part of the SWE Grassroots Oral History Project. The interviewer is Troy Eller. This excerpt was selected and produced by the SWE Archivist. The excerpt may have been edited for length, however the intent of the interviewee's words remain the same. Audio excerpts may be used for research and educational purposes only.