Women make up half of the United States population but represent only one-third of the nation’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce.
Here at CIA, we know that women are leveraging their technical skills to achieve operational success every day. The Agency’s STEAM Program—this A is for Arts, a key driver of intelligence innovation—seeks to increase these successes by inspiring students, from kindergarten through graduate school, who are traditionally underrepresented in these fields to learn technical skills. A fundamental way to protect national security is to invest in the future and ensure our nation has a diverse, talented population to drive innovation and outmaneuver adversaries.
We want to spotlight four incredible women who defied the odds and brought their technical know-how to the Agency. These intelligence officers are models of success for the next generation of STEAM-trained individuals.
Meet A Few of CIA's Women in STEAM
Kristin, Weapons System Analyst
• I use my engineering knowledge to determine the performance and weaknesses of cutting-edge weapons systems.
Madalyn, Cartographer
• I am currently the longest-serving production cartographer in the Directorate of Analysis. I work on unclassified reference maps and classified maps for intelligence products. I also share cartographic design insight and geographic stories and anomalies with the Intelligence Community.
Melissa, Operational Engineer
• I use my background in mechanical engineering to design, manufacture, and deliver custom-engineered products to mission partners.
Sophie, Digital Targeter
• I work within the Directorate of Digital Innovation and use my technical expertise to support national security. Recently, I had the opportunity to identify potential security issues that might affect Americans overseas.
STEAM in the Formative Years
Kristin, Weapons System Analyst
• I’ve been interested in science and engineering for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid, my mom used to take me to garage sales, and I would buy broken electronics and take them apart with my dad’s tools to see how they worked. I used to save the parts under my bed in the hopes of building a robot one day. While I always enjoyed science, I started to actually believe I could do it for a living when I won an award from CIA for my high school science project (which, by the way, was to test and determine the solar cell that worked the best). My prize was a visit to CIA Headquarters. It was amazing. That’s when I realized I was truly good at engineering.
Madalyn, Cartographer
• I have always been interested in geography – why cities are located where they are, different landscapes, and how using maps can solve problems or explain the world. My mother actually recommended I study cartography. I started college with “undeclared” as a major but then took a quiz to help identify what career paths fit me best. When “cartographer” came up as the second career (first was “male math teacher,” which was so wrong on so many levels), I decided to take a geography class. Ultimately, I chose to major in geography and focus on cartography, just like my mom had suggested.
Melissa, Operational Engineer
• Growing up, I was always interested in electronics and the “why” behind how things worked. I loved tinkering with Radio Control (RC) cars, electronic sets, and setting up Rube Goldberg booby traps for my parents. In high school, I was on the robotics team, which competed in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Challenge. One of my coaches had a big impact on me. I used to be very soft-spoken and quiet for the majority of the FIRST meetings. I found my voice when this coach pulled me aside and said, “You have good ideas and you should share them.” It took him saying, “You should speak up,” before I felt empowered to. He created the safe space I needed to thrive. I think having leaders that empower and encourage participation at all levels has incredible long-term impact. I hope my future legacy will embody that too.
Sophie, Digital Targeter
• Throughout my undergraduate studies, I was a bit of an outlier in the majority of my classes. I was often the only woman in the room and one of few women of color pursuing a STEAM degree. Growing up in a small city in Mississippi, I was used to this phenomenon, but after experiencing it on a much larger scale at my university, I really understood the power of representation. When high school students came to tour my College of Engineering, I made it a point to be present and engage with those students who may have had the same experiences as me. This calling stuck with me. I decided I would pursue and excel at a STEAM career as a way to show that I belong in these spaces just as much as everyone else.
CIA Women Driving Mission Impact
Kristin, Weapons System Analyst
• After spending some time at CIA, I realized the female officers I worked with were extraordinary in ways that were hard to see. The nice lady who always asks how I’m doing and really wants to know the answer? She helped bring down Bin Laden. The woman who bakes goodies all time? She influenced how the Agency managed large amounts of U.S. Government funding.
Madalyn, Cartographer
• Cartography has been described as a marriage of science and art: the science to get the locations on the map in the correct locations and in an appropriate projection, and the art of making the map attractive and understandable to the reader. Knowing locations is vital to making informed decisions, and a map is the best way to see the relationships between places. I’ve had many opportunities to create maps for high-level customers—perhaps none more visible than the maps I made illustrating an international crisis that a former president featured during a nationally-televised speech. That was exciting! But, I’m most proud of a large poster-sized reference map that won best reference map in the National Mapping Association’s competition.
Encouragement for Women Who Want to Pursue STEAM
Kristin, Weapons System Analyst
• I think we need the best people to work the most challenging issues of our time, and we simply can’t afford to exclude half the population from this work because of their gender. My advice to other young women interested in STEAM fields: find other people who can provide a safe space to talk to about your experiences, and do not think you have to carry the burden alone. Continue to be excellent.
Madalyn, Cartographer
• When women choose STEAM careers, they bring a different outlook to the table. I think a broad range of perspectives is vital to finding the best solution to any problem. I’d advise young women to follow their interests, and if they’re already in a STEAM field, don’t be afraid to voice your opinions and share your knowledge.
Melissa, Operational Engineer
• Representation empowers the next generation! If more women join STEAM fields, then more women will see a career in STEAM as a viable option. I recently attended the “Lesbians Who Tech” conference and saw a lesbian family not only participating in the conference but leading it. It was the first time I had seen true representation of what I want for my future in the STEAM community. It’s one thing to imagine it’s possible; seeing makes it real.
Sophie, Digital Targeter
• It’s so important for women to pursue careers in STEAM because representation matters! If you’re interested in STEAM, then consider a career in it. If you don’t see people like you doing your dream job, YOU can be the one to change that! We are often our biggest critics, so don’t hold yourself back, and don’t count yourself out.
If you’d like to learn more about STEAM-related opportunities for university students or professionals at CIA, please browse our Careers pages.
*We have changed the officers’ names in these interviews to protect their identities.
