PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. -- Integrate. It means to combine, to bring something, a person or group, into a part of a larger organization and unite them through equal membership. It's a concept that you might see at work, within the classroom or on a team project, and, at Picatinny Arsenal, it's vital to Kimberly Griswold, a material engineer.
Griswold is in the Demilitarization & Environmental Technology Division, which is part of the Munitions Engineering Technology Center.
At the arsenal's "Introduce to Girl to Engineering" in February, Griswold showcased this idea of integration at her table, "It's a Material World," providing students with at-home experiments that replicate the same engineering principles used to support the warfighter at Picatinny.
For example, by combining corn starch, water and food coloring, Griswold demonstrated the concept of non-Newtonian fluid and spoke about its mechanics (how the material works), fluid dynamics (how the material moves) and thermodynamics (the conservation of energy and mass.)
"I really enjoyed this year because we opened it up to the Picatinny community and the military community," said Griswold about the engineering event, which previously involved only girls from local community schools who may or may not have a direct connection to the military or understand what engineering for the military means.
"That was really important for us to do because the event is 'Introduce a Girl to Engineering,' so if we can get any girl interested in engineering or science, we accomplished what we were supposed to do."
During the event, she also explained how material engineering is used to develop household products, such as bath salts, beauty products and blue-bubble scrubber--a toilet cleaning product--as well as car paint.
In addition, she spoke about how ski-gear and 3-D printed dresses are developed using similar skills that are used within the Army to make Soldiers' uniforms lighter or water-resistant.
"Growing up, I didn't always understand the Army's mission," said Griswold, whose family included both military and non-military members. "So, if I looked at something that dealt with the Army's mission, it was cool, but I didn't know if I could totally relate to it. It didn't always register that it was science and it was something that I could contribute to."
"However, if you can show students how science applies to everyday life, and show how those same concepts can apply to military applications, it makes the transition easier and makes someone want to learn and understand it," explained Griswold.
A RESEARCHER AT HEART
This uncertainty, but unrelenting curiosity, is a sentiment that Griswold understood all too well, she said, before deciding on her degrees--each from a different technical field.
Griswold received her bachelor's degree in biomedical optics and pre-medicine from the University of Rochester in New York. She earned a master's in biomedical engineering, with a certification in pharmaceutical technology. Griswold also has a doctorate in materials science and engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
For a while, she also considered law school.
"It wasn't that it (engineering) wasn't right for me, but I had a lot of people, even now, say that the way I handle situations, propose my arguments in debates and organize my work, it seemed very much like what a lawyer would do," laughed Griswold.
"And, it's true. I am a researcher at heart. I dig through information. I am always trying to find more information and educate myself on new policies and procedures."
Although Griswold initially worked for a start-up company as a technical consultant, she still wanted a job that allowed her to explore different ideas. So, she decided to apply for a job at Picatinny, which, she said, offered more opportunities to expand her horizons into different careers, fields and places.
"It was a crapshoot," she said. "I applied on USAJobs.gov and was contacted a few months later for an interview." She started working at Picatinny in 2008.
"Our Soldiers deserve the best that we can give and so, if I can help with that, it's enough for me," said Griswold, explaining why she works at Picatinny.
"There are also some amazing people here, people with great talent, and, I think, we're allowed to have more flexibility and creativity than you could have in industry," she continued.
"Plus, how often does an engineer get to interact directly with the client, the recipient of their idea?" Griswold added. "At Picatinny, we get to do that and more."
BUILDING CREATIVE TEAMWORK
Griswold says that this open-minded mindset helps her to be more versatile in her Picatinny career and to find innovative solutions within different projects.
As a material engineer, Griswold investigates material failures, new materials that are stronger and lighter with dual purpose, their life-cycle impact, maintenance, cost analysis and component technology.
With more room and resources to be creative, though, Griswold adds that it can be challenging to ask someone to support future concepts and understand its risks and benefits.
"I think sometimes people get pigeonholed. We think that mechanics is mechanics, chemistry is chemistry, biology is biology and we can't deter from that or overlap these fields. But, that isn't the case. You can apply the same science principles to a variety of products and applications."
To avoid being pigeonholed, she stresses that groups need to communicate and create wholesome work environments where everyone is heard and credited.
"If you have a healthy work environment, people tend to like what they're doing," said Griswold. "So, for me, I love to ask people their opinions and I always encourage people to ask questions. We need to ask questions if we're going to explore ideas, especially with future concepts."
BREAKING FEMALE STEREOTYPES
Regarding the future workforce, Griswold adds that she received various questions at the arsenal's event, Introduce a Girl to Engineering. Questions ranged from how to find internships and pick a major, to whether she had a set career path before entering college.
However, the question that remains the most memorable is whether she ever feels uncomfortable as a female engineer in a male-dominated field.
"I understand that fear. But, I think back to the basic principles," Griswold said resolutely.
"My parents always had said that hard work, and being tenacious will get you somewhere. It may not happen when or even how you want it to happen, but it will be recognized. And, there may be comments about you being woman, but they will not be able to dispute that you do good work. My father emphasized maintaining focus and always told me to have courage."
According to Picatinny's Civilian Personnel Advisory Center, the ratio between female and male engineers at the arsenal is quite large. Out of a total 3,885 engineers, 1,005 are female, and 2,880 are male.
However, the female to male student ratio was almost even in Picatinny's 2015 STEM summer camp, a program that teaches students about science, technology, engineering and mathematics principles through hands-on experiments. According to the STEM Office, out of 33 students, 15 were females and 18 were males.
In fact, the female students (6) outnumbered the male students (5) within the program's first week, which was offered to ages 10-11. They also outnumbered the males in the second week, which focused on students ages 12-13.
And yet, female participation dropped by the program's third week, which was dedicated to students ages 14-15. Out of its 11 students, three were female and eight were male.
Griswold suggests that one reason female students may not continue to pursue STEM careers is because of the expectations that we have for each gender, and the stereotype that may be attached to those women who do pursue STEM careers as bookish, unattractive and socially inept.
DEFINING WHAT WORKS
"If someone says 'no,' or 'you can't,' challenge it. Don't just accept it, speak up," Griswold said. "That does not mean that you have to be the most aggressive or loudest person in the room, but you have a voice. Use it."
She also tells potential engineers that making mistakes isn't a female or male issue, but rather a human issue that everyone encounters, regardless of age, expertise or gender.
When asked what advice she would share with young girls interested in engineering, Griswold said, "Accept the fact that you're going to make mistakes and that's 'OK.' That is being human, the blessing of scientific discovery, and that's just life.
"If you make a mistake, it doesn't mean that you took one step back as a female engineer. Get the 'female' out of your head. It shouldn't be that you 'made a mistake because I am female.' It should be 'I made a mistake because I am human, and I'm learning.'"
Related Links:
U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) homepage
U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) homepage
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