Women In Engineering Profile: Becky Holdford
This profile series introduces leading materials scientists from around the world who happen to be females. Here we speak with Becky Holdford, failure analyst, at Raytheon Intelligence and Space, McKinney, Texas.
What part of your job do you like most?
The puzzle/mystery aspect. As a physical failure analyst, I like figuring out the how and why something failed and what things might be needed to stop it from failing again.
What is your greatest professional achievement?
I contributed a chapter titled “The Uses of Dual Beam FIB in Microelectronic Failure Analysis” to the book Introduction to Focused Ion Beams: Instrumentation, Theory, Techniques, and Practice, published by Springer in 2005.
What is your engineering background?
I have an associate’s degree in electronics and 35 years of experience in microelectronics failure analysis. What attracted you to engineering? The sheer diversity of it. You can design, teach, research, build (or in the case of failure analysis, destroy); you can be a specialist or a generalist.
Did you ever consider doing something else with your life besides engineering?
No. This is too much fun.
Best career advice, given or received:
I was given this piece of advice early in my career and I give it frequently: If you see something that needs doing or that you want to do, just go do it until somebody tells you to stop. They probably won’t.
Finish this sentence: Women in engineering are…
…absolutely essential. Why limit yourself to the intelligence of only half the population? The world’s problems need every bit of IQ and common sense we can muster.
Favorite motto or quote:
“It’s easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission.”- Grace Murray Hopper
Last book read:
Bum Fodder: An Absorbing History of Toilet Paper by Richard Smyth
Do you know someone who should be featured in an upcoming Women in Engineering profile? Contact Vicki Burt at [email protected].
