Learn why Paula Grendys loves her job as a Strategic Initiatives Senior Manager for Leidos, a contractor to the National Energy Technology Laboratory.
May 10, 2019
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Paula Grendys is the Strategic Initiatives Senior Manager with Leidos working as an on-site contractor to the National Energy Technology Lab (NETL) in Pittsburgh, PA. Paula received her B.S. Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. She earned an MBA in Industrial Administration from Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. Prior to her current role, Paula’s career included leadership roles with a software engineering consulting firm, small manufacturer of high-technology instrumentation, technology startup companies, Big 4 management consulting firm, and a global original equipment manufacturer for the commercial nuclear power industry.
Paula is a member of the Pittsburgh Technology Leaders Group, Carnegie Mellon University Alumni leadership group, and Toastmasters International. She actively volunteers as a business mentor for the University of Pittsburgh’s Innovation Institute’s entrepreneurial programs and Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business’s MBA Management Game board of directors.
What inspired you to work in STEM?
I’ve always enjoyed math and science and was fortunate to take advanced calculus in high school. That teacher, super-energetic Mr. Lightfoot, inspired us students to challenge ourselves, and we sure did. The hard work paid off my first year in college, i.e., calculus was a breeze! Then, I was encouraged to follow my uncle’s footsteps and earn my degree in mechanical engineering.
What excites you about your work at the Energy Department?
I am excited to be working with the U.S. Department of Energy as I have been in the energy industry for many years. With my co-op at the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, and then various roles at Westinghouse Electric Company, I learned commercial nuclear power. Now at the National Energy Technology Lab, my team and I are working to make fossil energy generation safer, cleaner, and more efficient -- protecting our future environment for our kids.
How can our country engage more women, girls, and other underrepresented groups in STEM?
To best engage underrepresented groups, enable them to see STEM in action! For example, my uncle gave me a tour of a commercial airline manufacturing floor in California while I was in college. At Westinghouse, I often gave tours of the engineering and testing facilities to female students, crawling under a full-size reactor vessel head model with hard hats and safety glasses on.
Do you have tips you'd recommend for someone looking to enter your field of work?
When choosing a field of study, be sure to first reflect on your passions. Do you love working with your hands? Are you a book work or love to do research? And what areas or industries are you most excited about? Search for STEM opportunities in these places. And you can do this by job shadowing, networking at career fairs, and getting involved in specialty groups, such as a robotics club.
When you have free time, what are your hobbies?
I have three children, so I fit my hobbies around their schedules. Mostly, I try to stay active. I love heated yoga and like both trail and road bike riding. This summer I plan to do a 35-mile ride through the beautiful countryside in the Laurel Highlands, near Hidden Valley ski resort.
Learn more about our programs & resources for women and girls in STEM at /women