In 2020, longtime SWE member Eileen Vélez-Vega made history as the first woman to be appointed Secretary and CEO of the Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works.
In this conversation, recorded live at WE24, she reflects on her inspiring STEM journey and the unique pivots along the way: from being the first engineer in her family, to interning at NASA and Walt Disney World, to building a successful engineering career and ultimately leading a state government agency.
Interviewed by Larry Guthrie, director of content strategy at SWE, Vélez-Vega wraps up her term as Secretary and discusses the power of perseverance, the role SWE has played in her career, and how being a Latina in engineering has served as a superpower.
