Alexandra J. Forsythe - Blog

A New Chapter

7/27/2023

I have an announcement: I'm embarking on a new, exciting chapter in my life!

I was approached with a once-in-a-lifetime offer: the opportunity to become a research engineer for a national advanced technology lab. I'll be helping to develop new solutions in wide-ranging areas such as energy and power, artificial intelligence, robotics, human-machine symbiosis, hypersonics, spectrum operations, and cyber. This role will provide a new challenge each and every day. It will allow me to utilize my full skillset, expand my horizons, expose me to new mindsets, and encourage me to grow both personally and professionally.

The chance to work in the Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Laboratories is the stuff dreams are made of, working on generation-after-next technology - things that have never been imagined before - in an entrepreneurial research environment supported by the national labs, academia, and multibillion-dollar global organizations. I'm one of the youngest members of the team, so I'll be surrounded by seasoned experts in almost every discipline of engineering. This will give me the chance to learn and grow within my own field and beyond.

I never intended to leave Intel; Intel is like family to me. I am incredibly grateful for their support and for the valuable experiences and knowledge I have gained over the years. It has been an honor working alongside such talented individuals, and as I move forward I carry with me the lessons learned and the strong relationships forged.

While it is bittersweet to bid farewell to Intel, it's time for me to embark on this new chapter in my career, and I couldn't be more thrilled about the incredible opportunities that lie ahead! Working outside the box, doing something different every single day, and contributing to a wide variety of groundbreaking research and development projects will turn every workday into an exciting adventure.

Here's to new adventures, and to pushing the boundaries of innovation!

Engineering Innovation Challenge

6/23/2023

As the International Women in Engineering Day approaches, I find myself thinking back to the most impactful experiences I had while I was an undergraduate student studying electrical and computer engineering. I particularly enjoyed the Innovation Challenge which allowed me to combine my engineering expertise with new skills in business planning and marketing. Learning those skills allowed me to become more well-rounded and to better understand the business perspective of my future employers.

Staying young!

4/11/2023

What's not to love about blacksmithing? Fire! Sledge hammers! Fun people!

I love learning new skills, regardless whether those skills are work-related or just for fun. On-the-job-training and formal classes toward my master's degree in electrical engineering are important to me, but I believe it is equally important to learn car and home maintenance, and to continually learn new hobbies and skills like blacksmithing, glass-blowing, welding, felting, and crocheting. Adding in different sports like curling helps to round things out.

The excitement of learning new things makes me feel alive and gives me the feeling that I am constantly moving forward, while the challenge of learning each new skill forces me to keep my mind open to different ways of thinking and problem solving. All of this combines to help me be a better engineer and a happier person.

When people ask me what I do, I know they're asking about my professions: System-on-chip Design Engineer and adjunct professor. But the real answer to their question is far more complicated than that, and my goal is to make sure it remains complicated for the rest of my life. I plan to continue to expand my world by trying new things.

"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young." - Henry Ford

Staying young sounds pretty good to me!

Team Building!

3/29/2023

I got together with Intel colleagues for a fun team building event. We did some indoor rock climbing, then we had a scrumptious dinner afterward. It was so much fun! Events like this encourage cohesiveness and create a sense of belonging. I love my job and I love my team!

Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day

2/24/2023

It's "Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day" - my favorite part of National Engineer's Week! This year's theme is "Creating the Future".

Creating the future is the hallmark of what engineers do, and every single day I feel fortunate that I am in this profession. Not only do I get to help create the next generation of Intel products, but I am also lucky enough to teach the next generation of engineers.

When I think about my students, I am confident that tomorrow's engineers will create a brighter future for all of us. However, I would like to see more women among the ranks. Check out these sobering numbers:

In the United States, only 14% of engineers are women.
Only 18% of tenure-track engineering faculty are women.
Only 9% of electrical, electronic, or computer hardware engineers are women.
Of 15-year old girls, only 6% want to pursue a career in engineering.
While in college, over 32% of women switch out of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) degree programs.
Among 25- to 34-year-old women with a bachelor's degree in STEM, about 70% are employed in non-STEM occupations.
Just 20 years after graduation, only 30% of women with a bachelor's degree in engineering are still working as engineers.

Those numbers are not particularly encouraging, but they can change. One role model or one moment can make all the difference in each girl's life. It can change a girl's perception of engineering, give her a sense of belonging, boost her self-esteem, and alter the course of her career.

Today, on "Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day", I encourage each of you to take some time out of your day and make a difference in the life of a young girl. Just one moment or one word could change the course of her life, and she will go on to create a brighter future, not only for herself, but for all humankind.

Alumni Success Stories

11/14/2022

Indiana Tech asked its alumni to share their stories with the next generation of students. I am incredibly honored that Indiana Tech chose to share mine.

National STEM Day

11/8/2022

It's National STEM Day - the ideal day to talk to young people about the wonders of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), and to help them on their journey in any way that you can.

It's also the perfect day to announce that the university has asked me to teach a second course, so I must be doing something right! I love being an adjunct professor. Helping the next generation of engineers reach their goals means more to me than I can express. Part-time teaching, along with my full-time dream job (SoC Design Engineer), has given me immeasurable fulfillment. I am very fortunate and grateful.

On this National STEM Day, I can't help but reflect on the road I've taken to get where I am today. There have been plenty of forks in the road, a few detours and road closures, and lots of twists and turns, but I managed to achieve my goals thanks to the numerous supportive people I met along the way.

So today, join me - support young people and help them along their paths. Be generous with your time, be willing to teach, and be anxious to mentor. Give them the tools and the confidence they need to pursue their dreams.

In short, to paraphrase Henry David Thoreau, tell them this: "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined."

Professor Alexandra Forsythe

10/4/2022

"Professor Alex Forsythe." I love the sound of that!

I am thrilled to announce that I am officially a professor! Beginning this month, I will be teaching Digital Circuits for Indiana Tech as an adjunct professor.

During the weekdays, I'll continue working on the next generation of products for Intel as an SoC (system on chip) Design Engineer. In the evenings, I'll be helping the next generation of students understand engineering concepts. At the same time, I'll continue to pursue my master's degree in electrical engineering.

I am so excited to begin this chapter of my career. My short-term career goal has always been to be an engineer by day, and an engineering professor by night.

This is a dream come true. What a great way to celebrate IEEE Day!

You CAN Do It!

7/24/2022

I've seen many joyous graduation posts lately (congratulations!), but I've seen an equal number of posts by concerned parents about their children who have been labeled as "learning disabled". Here's a note to all of you who, like me, were told that their disabilities were inabilities: Don't listen to the naysayers. I was born with a "defective brain", but I now design the "brains" for computers and robotics.

I was born with dyslexia and dyscalculia. When I was a kid, the schools in my area weren't capable of helping kids like me. Since I couldn't read and I struggled with math, it was generally accepted that I would slip further and further behind my peers. My future was bleak and my options were limited.

My parents refused to accept such a negative outlook. My mom quit her dream job as an attorney so that she could focus on researching my learning differences. She was determined to find the best ways to teach me so that I could become anything I wanted to be. Although everything was a struggle, she never allowed me to believe that I was learning disabled; I was taught that there was no limit in my ability to learn.

Thanks to my parents, by the time I graduated from high school, I not only caught up to my peers, I surpassed most of them. I scored in the top 10% in the nation on the ACT (college admissions test) and I had already earned over a year's worth of college credit. Several universities offered me full-ride academic scholarships to study engineering (free tuition, books, room and board).

I studied very hard in college and graduated summa cum laude with a perfect 4.0 GPA, majoring in electrical engineering with minors in computer science and math, all while working part-time as a computer and electrical design engineer, and while remaining very active in community service. I was honored with the distinction of being the university's top engineering student - valedictorian, if you will, of the college of engineering.

Today, I've got my dream job and I'm in graduate school earning my master's degree in electrical engineering. I am sitting on top of the world. It's been a long, hard climb from where I began, but thanks to my parents, I was given the opportunity to summit my mountain.

The professionals told my parents that my future was bleak, college was out of the question, and very few doors would be open for me.

My parents taught me that no matter what circumstances I may face, nothing is impossible. My parents were right.

So to all of you kids with "defective brains" like mine, don't listen to the naysayers. You can become anything you want to be!

Back in the office!

7/11/2022

It's unbelievably wonderful to be back in the office again!

Working from home has its benefits, but I prefer face-to-face interactions. I love the camaraderie, banter, grabbing lunch, and the feeling that we're a team - an extended family. Maybe it's because I have the best boss, best coworkers, and best job in the world, but I love being back!