Silicon Valley, located in the San Francisco Bay Area, is a hub of technology, innovation, and engineering. It’s also the place I call home, which is why my interview with 2007–08 AAUW Selected Professions Fellow Misty Davies resonated with me on two levels. Davies is currently a research computer engineer at the NASA Ames Research Center, a 10-minute drive from where my mom lives. Additionally, Davies earned both her master’s and doctoral degrees from Stanford University, where my mom works as a computer programmer. Given these similarities, I was very excited to talk to Davies about her experiences and her work in California.
Interestingly enough, when she first started college, Davies was set on pursuing a degree in musical theater! She eventually left school, and during a stint managing a gas station, Davies discovered her interest in engineering when she worked on an old Volkswagen Beetle engine. After returning to college, Davies found that studying mechanical engineering was the hardest thing she ever tried to do, but it became such an obsession that there was no discouraging her. “Almost every success I have ever had grew out of learning from a ton of failures,” she says. “Don’t be afraid of failure — that’s where you learn things. If you’re going to attempt something hard, the trick is failing very fast so you can pick up the pieces and do better next time.”
Davies, who grew up living below the poverty line, was the first person in her immediate family to attend college. When she was accepted at Stanford University for her graduate studies, she was highly dependent upon scholarships to complete her education. Davies told me that her AAUW fellowship was especially significant beyond just the money it provided for her research. Because Selected Professions Fellows must submit a study plan for the award period, Davies had to plan, prioritize, and follow through on her project. Thanks to both her residence in the Bay Area and the various AAUW national and branch events she has attended, she is now connected with a supportive community of women.
Davies’ current work as a research computer scientist involves looking at complicated aerospace equipment and making sure that the corresponding software works correctly. She devises next-generation air-traffic control systems and checks for any flight-software problems to make air transportation safer. Davies’ position at NASA is also very academic — she is proud to say that the first few students she mentored and advised are graduating. She has had the honor of being selected for Women@NASA, a website that highlights impressive women who work at the agency. She hopes that within the next five to 10 years, she will continue to run collaborations as an independent researcher with other members but also get to the point where she can guide a bigger research team. Davies’ passion for engineering serves as an inspiration to anyone who has faced failure, and her work continues to keep us all safe as we travel.
Misty Davies’ Selected Professions Fellowship was sponsored by the AAUW Ruby Henry/Napa County (CA) Branch American Fellowship, the Susan B. Riley American Fellowship, and the Sharon Schuster American Fellowship.
This post was written by AAUW Fellowships and Grants Intern Bianca Zhang.
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