So going into engineering, I wanted to keep perpetuating the fun and excitement that we\u2019d had at home. I never changed my major or guessed at what my major was going to be; I had a pretty clear line of sight<\/p>\n
How did you get to where you are in your career path?\u00a0 <\/strong>At the time I went to GMI (now Kettering University), you had corporate sponsors. So you have a type of co-op experience, and my sponsor was McLaren, which had racing programs they were managing, as well as niche performance production cars.<\/p>\n Electronic controls were coming into play on power-train transmissions, and I really liked that, but I knew that the real intellectual property in that space was owned by the automakers. So that\u2019s when I went to work for GM.<\/p>\n Why did you decide to start working on advanced vehicles?\u00a0 <\/strong>In the beginning it was the technology to be honest. I like being on the forefront of what\u2019s new.<\/p>\n What is the most rewarding aspect of working on advanced vehicles?\u00a0 <\/strong>No question: it\u2019s surprising, delighting, and exceeding the expectations of our owners<\/p>\n What is your favorite feature of plug-in electric vehicles?\u00a0 <\/strong>It\u2019s the fun to drive part! You step on the accelerator and it\u2019s instant go and when it accelerates it\u2019s smooth, it\u2019s quiet. I have two little nephews and when I go to see them they always say, \u201cAnd you\u2019re bringing the cool car, right?<\/p>\n What is a \u201cday in the life\u201d of GM\u2019s executive chief engineer for electrified vehicles like?\u00a0 <\/strong>I go anywhere from the proving grounds \u2014 where you\u2019re actually driving and testing vehicles \u2014 to the design studio \u2014 where we\u2019re trying to make them look beautiful \u2014 down to our assembly plant \u2014 where you can actually see the cars built. So it\u2019s really pretty cool.<\/p>\n What is the best part about working in a STEM field?\u00a0 <\/strong>Careers in science and math can be so rewarding, because everything in life has science behind it.\u00a0 Even the cosmetics industry.<\/p>\n What advice do you have for young women interested in your field?\u00a0 <\/strong>Number one, have confidence in your abilities. I think many women underestimate what they\u2019re capable of. And then, don\u2019t be afraid to ask questions and dig in the details so you can get a full understanding of whatever the problem is you\u2019re trying to solve. And once you get that fundamental understanding, then you can start building a solution. Don\u2019t be afraid to ask the clarifying questions, and just go for it!<\/p>\n Allison Lantero writes:\u00a0 Pam Fletcher is the executive chief engineer for electric vehicles at General Motors, including Chevrolet\u2019s plug-in electric car: the Volt. She spoke with Energy.gov about what inspired her to pursue a career in engineering and what she … Continue reading ![\"Plug](\"http:\/\/www.w-t-w.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Plug-In-Vehicles-300x223.jpg\")
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