Director
She/Her
Silvia Karlsson, P.E., F.SWE, manages a group of talented engineers in the areas of aerodynamics and aeroacoustics at General Motors. She is responsible for leading program execution, choice of the proper tool mix, global strategy, resource management, and motorsports teams’ support. Prior to GM, she worked for Rocketdyne (a division of The Boeing Company at the time) on the space shuttle main engine.
A Fellow and life member of SWE, Karlsson has made significant impacts to outreach, professional development, and diversity at all levels of the Society. She has been an active member since she was an undergraduate student. As a member of the Los Angeles Section, she led multiple outreach initiatives. In SWE Detroit, she co-founded the Coalition of Minority Professional Engineering Societies and has held nearly every officer position, including president.
Karlsson has served the Society as Region H director, finance committee chair, and conference programming board chair. Since FY06, Karlsson has been a member of the Corporate Partnership Council and leads the SWE-GM recruiting team. She is a champion and member of the SWE STEM Reentry task force and GM’s “Take 2” program.
She holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering from California State University, Northridge; an M.S. in mechanical/aerospace engineering from UCLA; and an M.S. in management of technology from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She is a registered professional engineer in California and Michigan.
Karlsson is a life member of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and the Girl Scouts and is active in her church. She grew up in Mexico City and has family in 10 countries.
Email: Director.Karlsson@swe.org
