Lisa Underwood is a research and development project manager for the HP Inc. print business. Her team designs the microelectromechanical systems, or MEMS, microfluidics for HP’s Thermal Inkjet Technology for all of its printing businesses, including consumer printing, office multifunction devices, commercial graphics, signage, and industrial printing presses.

An HP employee for 25 years, she joined the company as an engineer directly out of college serving in HP’s paper media division. She worked on specialty papers and films and then moved on to printhead system integration engineering.

Throughout her career as an engineer, she authored work that earned seven U.S. patents. Her years with HP included assignments in their locations in San Diego, California; Boise, Idaho; and most recently, Corvallis, Oregon. In her engineering leadership roles, she has mentored several talented engineers, which motivated her to shift her career path into the management track.

Underwood has been managing engineering teams for more than seven years and makes extra time to mentor women engineer employees and other women within the company. She takes a whole-life approach and guides each mentee through career and life choices to help them define and work toward the career they want, as well as acting as a sounding board for challenging situations. She is well-regarded for her patient, practical, and caring approach to helping other women in HP determine what their best course of action is as they develop their own careers.

She volunteers as the project manager sponsor for the HP Next-Gen Business resource group in Corvallis, where she provides mentorship and tactical support to the newer engineers who lead site engagement activities. As part of this role, she often helps them prepare for executive-level presentations.

Underwood holds a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder and an MBA from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. Her early interest in both math and science led to her decision to major in chemical engineering. Her parents’ unwavering confidence in her ability to achieve her goal helped her earn her degree and accept an engineering job with HP. Throughout the years, Underwood had many mentors who continued to express the same confidence in her skills, and this is something she is inspired to pay forward to others.

She enjoys spending time with her family, crocheting, and hiking. In 2020, Underwood was diagnosed with limited system scleroderma, a rare autoimmune disease. She shares her personal health story as an example for others, demonstrating the importance of bringing one’s authentic self to work and being open about often nonvisible disabilities.