Hello SWEsters! We are back this semester to continue our series: “Female Engineer of the month.” Each month, we will highlight the life and achievements of a female engineer in history or currently in the industry. The goal is for these stories to serve as a source of inspiration in your career path. That being said, our female engineer of the month is Sammy Zellner.” Sammy was the president of the UNT SWE section for the 2016/2017 school year. She graduated with a bachelors and masters in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of North Texas.
Currently, she works as a FAB Engineer for Texas Instruments (TI). As you will learn from her story and career path, Sammy is a hard worker. She holds nothing back and never takes any opportunity for granted.
Currently, she works as a FAB Engineer for Texas Instruments (TI). As you will learn from her story and career path, Sammy is a hard worker. She holds nothing back and never takes any opportunity for granted.
I’ll begin with a little bit of her background. Sammy is from Frisco, Texas. From an early age, she performed excellently in her math and science classes. It was a computer science project in high school that directed her towards her degree in Material Science and Engineering. One of the projects she had to do for that class, was to select a job she wanted in the future. In addition to that, she had to list 3 companies she could work for in that position and 3 schools that she could get training for that position. At first, Sammy wanted to be an aerospace engineer because she had an interest in planes. While looking at the job requirements for an aerospace engineer, she noticed that a degree in materials science and engineering was one of the main requirements. She had never heard of this type of engineering. So, she decided to look into it. This field immediately caught her interest when she found out that they were involved in making the materials that go into the production of basically every engineering product. Coincidentally, the University of North Texas which offers an excellent degree in Material Science and engineering was very close to where she lived. Everything seemed to be falling right into place and directed her towards pursuing a degree in Materials Science and Engineering at UNT.
Overall, Sammy enjoyed all of her material science classes in college. She loved learning about the processing of materials. It reminded her a lot about cooking, which she really enjoys. One of her favorite classes was the materials processing class she took in her junior year. The next year, she took an Integrated Circuits fabrication class which is related to the work she does now. Outside of materials science classes, her favorite class was her honors calculus II class. In that class, she would meet her best friend. Her journey to become an engineer consisted of far more than attending classes. She was very involved in the Society of Women Engineers and even held various leadership positions like event coordinator, and SWE section president. Sammy also helped start up a fraternity “ki beta phi.” She was also involved in SWE on a national level as a SWE Future Leader, where she gained a lot of professional development. In general, she had a very positive experience with no regrets.
Sammy is now a fab engineer for Texas Instruments. She is responsible for both the equipment and the process side of projects. There is a machine that does the process. So, she ensures the process is done properly and etching is complete on the wafer. Her main responsibilities include managing any type of tool maintenance that needs to happen. Her job is focused on continuous improvement and improving the process of the machine. Currently, she is working on a number of different projects to help make a second path way on her tool. This would ensure that production continues, and the line is not cut if an issue occurs with the tool. Another important part of her job is supporting the technicians and manufacturing specialists in the fab.
Sammy is now a fab engineer for Texas Instruments. She is responsible for both the equipment and the process side of projects. There is a machine that does the process. So, she ensures the process is done properly and etching is complete on the wafer. Her main responsibilities include managing any type of tool maintenance that needs to happen. Her job is focused on continuous improvement and improving the process of the machine. Currently, she is working on a number of different projects to help make a second path way on her tool. This would ensure that production continues, and the line is not cut if an issue occurs with the tool. Another important part of her job is supporting the technicians and manufacturing specialists in the fab.
Sammy Credits the WE conference for all the professional job offers and interviews she ever received in her career path. She attended all of the WE national conferences from WE15 to WE19. Before her current position at TI, she worked as an intern for General Motors (GM). Over a semester before she graduated, she had 3 job offers lined up for her because of the SWE conference and professional development. Speaking with Sammy over the phone, I could tell she really enjoys the work she does and the people she works with. Outside of work, Sammy keeps her self-busy with various activities. She volunteers a lot with SWE. She also likes Netflix and cooking. If Sammy wasn’t an engineer, she would be career coaching and career management. She said SWE really helped her in professional development and in turn, she would like to do the same for others. She is also starting her own business and has her own blog (a link to her blog will be attached below.)
One advice Sammy had for our readers was to never take any opportunity for granted. She believes in hard work and growing through uncomfortable situations. These are some life rules that have helped her get to where she is today. I had the opportunity to meet Sammy at the national WE19 conference and when she gave a presentation at our SWE section meeting. Immediately, I saw her work ethic and professionalism; which was one of the main reasons I asked if she would like to be featured on our blog.
Sammy has built a brand for herself centered on hard work and professional development. One of the things I learned from the WE19 conference was professional branding. What do people say about you when you are not in the room? Are you the person that puts in a 100% every time or the person that is never on-time? The good thing about a brand is that, you get to decide what you want it to be. The challenge I have for everyone this week is to think about your brand and how you can build it. The ball is in your court!
Sammy Zellner
Society of Women Engineers
SWE Leadership Coaching Committee, Leadership Coach
Dallas SWE, Secretary
University of North Texas
M.S. Materials Science and Engineering, May 2019
B.S. Materials Science and Engineering, May 2018
Career Coaching | Speaking | Consulting: SammyZellner.com
https://sammyzellner.com/
Business inquires: [email protected]
