Ramak Asgari is an artificial intelligence and machine learning staff engineer at Lockheed Martin with more than 24 years of experience promoting science and engineering awareness among her colleagues and beyond. Her career ambition to become a Lockheed Martin fellow is supported by her selection for the Recognized Technical Talent Program. 

Asgari’s vast experience in risk management earned her the responsibility of Space Line of Business One Lockheed Martin risk manager. She holds American Society for Quality Six Sigma black belt and quality engineer certifications.

Asgari’s background in aerospace engineering, safety, and mission assurance has been instrumental in ensuring mission success for several international projects at NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California. Her research on the human factors of cockpit design was acknowledged in the book Taming HAL: Designing Interfaces Beyond 2001 by Asaf Degani (Palgrave Macmillan, 2004). 

Despite facing disabilities, Asgari earned a B.S. in mathematics at the University of Kentucky and graduated summa cum laude from San José State University, or SJSU, with an M.S. in industrial and systems engineering. While a graduate student at SJSU, she earned several awards sponsored by the Society of Women Engineers, including the SWE Achievement Award and SWE President’s Award. 

Her academic achievements and professional experience have equipped her to mentor individuals, particularly women who are pursuing engineering and STEM-related careers. She is known for sharing her own experiences, insights, successes, and hardships to inspire and guide others, as reflected in a 2024 episode of Diverse: a SWE podcast.

As an enthusiastic educator, Asgari has presented at the SWE annual conference and lectured at SJSU. Her passion for serving others is evident in her involvement with various organizations, including SWE, where she chairs the academic committee for the DisAbility Inclusion affinity group. She has been recognized with several awards, including the 2024 Tau Beta Pi Outstanding Advisor Award, the SWE 2023 Engaged Advocate Award, and the 2019 Lockheed Martin Extraordinary Engineering and Technology Award.

Throughout her career with Lockheed Martin, Asgari has garnered numerous prestigious awards, including the 2020 National Disabled Employee of the Year, the 2022 Professional Asian American Network Outreach Award, and the 2023 Hispanic Organization Leadership and Awareness Luminary Award. Her commitment to mentoring underrepresented STEM communities and championing diversity and inclusion has led to key diversity leadership appointments, including Lockheed Martin’s Able & Allies corporate ambassador and Space co-chair and talent director of Able & Allies. As a distinguished role model and mentor, Asgari inspires and empowers individuals, cultivating an environment of inclusivity and excellence.

Asgari volunteers and indulges in creative hobbies, including knitting booties for the nonprofit RealOptions, sewing crazy-quilt bags, and cooking for and hosting warm gatherings, all of which bring her a sense of balance, joy, and fulfillment.