Heather Doty is a senior project engineer for BAE Systems Inc., Space & Mission Systems in Boulder, Colorado. She works with the enterprise assurance team supporting data analytics, information governance, human error management, workforce development, and facility tours.

In her previous role as engineering integration manager, Doty supported strategic initiatives and coordination across the organization. Prior to that, she spent more than 15 years in structural engineering at the company, performing finite element analysis and supporting environmental testing of hardware. She contributed more than 12,000 hours of engineering to the optical telescope element for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and is recognized as a subject matter expert on cryogenic systems and optical bonding. She has supported several other missions, including space-based weather and Earth-imaging payloads and ground-based telescopes.

Doty is an engaged and experienced member of the Society of Women Engineers, having been elected to nearly every officer position at the section and region levels. As fiscal year 2021 SWE president, Doty led the organization with grace and positivity during the challenging period of the COVID-19 pandemic. She guided SWE through several diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, significantly advancing internal progress in keeping with SWE’s strategic objectives.

She served on the board of directors as the FY20 president-elect, the FY17-FY18 treasurer and the FY15-FY16 director of regions. A strong supporter of collegiate members, she was heavily involved in the strategic transition of the student activities committee to the collegiate interests committee and the full integration of collegiate members in Society operations.

Doty’s first exposure to SWE was in the 6th grade, when she entered the Rocky Mountain Section’s Great Women in Science and Engineering essay contest with a submission about Marie Curie. She received a certificate of merit as a high school senior. She is proof that SWE’s outreach efforts make a difference.

A SWE life member, Doty has received the SWE Distinguished New Engineer award, the Outstanding SWE Counselor award, and the Region i “Inspirational” Award for distinguished service.

A dedicated inclusion advocate, Doty has been a featured speaker for industry associations, corporations, universities, and precollegiate programs. She has been recruited to serve on advisory boards and for university engineering programs and STEM education in local public schools. She has also been a leader in her company’s women’s resource group, planning career development programming for her colleagues and supporting a mentoring program between employees and a local university.

Born and raised in Colorado, Doty holds a B.S. and an M.S. in civil engineering, a B.A. in music, and an MBA, all from the University of Colorado Boulder.

She enjoys traveling, playing flute and Zimbabwean-style marimba, creating culinary experiments in the kitchen, and playing board games with her family.