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| Dr. Li with her daughter and husband on a hiking trip near Laramie. |
Dr. Dongmei “Katie” Li has a unique perspective on being an engineer. Not only is
she one of just two women professors in the Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Department at the University of Wyoming, she also knows what it is like to be
in the shoes of an international student and a member of a minority group. However,
while her experiences and perspectives may be different than many of her colleagues,
Dr. Li became interested in engineering in the same way that many engineers do:
through family.
Like
many engineers, Dr. Li started in the field because of her father. From the
time she was young she wanted to be a chemical engineer.
“My
dad is in chemical engineering,” Dr. Li says. “I started (into engineering)
with the motivation of wanting to help with the family business.”
This
motivation led Dr. Li to pursue her B.S. in Chemical Engineering at Shandong
University and her M.S. in Chemical Engineering at Tianjin University in China.
From China, Dr. Li moved halfway around to world to earn her Ph.D. at Colorado University Boulder (CU Boulder).
“I had trouble understanding my professors my
first semester,” she says, laughing. “I was taking seventeen graduate level
credit hours which was extremely overwhelming. I tried to make friends, but
most of the time people had a hard time understanding me. The first semester
was tough, but luckily math and a chemical background were there, so I could
read the books and do the homework.”
Dr.
Li stayed at CU Boulder for her post-doc, but rather than continue with
fundamental research topics, she decided to take a more applied approach.
“I
happened to have the opportunity to work on a project that was very applied. It
was a collaboration between CU Boulder and Sandia National Laboratories, and was
sponsored by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI),” Dr. Li says. “That
project was very crucial for me because it made me enjoy science and research
again after being burned out by theoretical research at the end of graduate
school.”
Dr.
Li’s graduate school experience helped her develop techniques for problem
solving by relying on science and her post-doc project introduced her to the
refreshing world of applied science. Both of these experiences were
instrumental in preparing her for her first job as a Senior Process Engineer at
Intel Corporation, where she was one of the only women and minorities- both of
which created a challenge due to the culture of the company. At first, she was
seen through stereotypes, consequently resulting in unnecessary barriers
between her and a few coworkers who had a different background.
“No
doubt it was frustrating at the beginning,” Dr. Li says. “But then I learned that
I had to earn respect from people who had been there for a long time and made
their way up from the bottom, without an advanced or even college degree.”
Dr.
Li overcame the stereotypes by using data and logic. As in graduate school, she
relied on her knowledge in the field to address the challenge of the company
culture and to succeed in that environment. When she left Intel, Dr. Li carried
with her the importance of being flexible because, as she says, it is important
to be able to deal with the unexpected issues, which arise in every job.
“You
can only plan to a certain degree,” she says. “The rest are things you can’t
control.”
While
Dr. Li started out in chemical engineering to help with the family business,
she did not return to China and her father is now retired. Instead, she
followed opportunities and experienced a variety of career options and
cultures. Despite any difficulties, the diversity of the cultures she has
worked in has been the best part of her career.
“I
think my favorite part of my job at Intel had to be being able to have the
opportunity to interact with people from diverse backgrounds in terms of their
seniority in the company, education level and personal background,” Dr. Li
says. “Now, being a professor I get to work with many students and collaborate
with other professors on this campus, the Front Range (CU Boulder and Colorado
State University) and nationwide. That is very enjoyable.”
Working
with students, especially international students, is a highlight of her work at
UW, especially because she knows what it is like to be in their shoes. Though
she does not like to give advice, to foreign students she says, “No matter what
you are facing, do one thing at a time, and do it well, and opportunity will
come knocking at your door.”
To
all students, she advises, “Don’t limit yourself. The world is fascinating.
There are so many opportunities and I think being into science and technology
opens doors you wouldn’t otherwise know exist.”
By Kali S. McCrackin
Photo courtesy of Dr. Dognmei Li
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