ABI-ONE ghc program v14.indd - Grace Hopper Celebration of ...

The so called ‘good old boys’ network’ can be less exclusive
if we are willing to form friendships based on trust, respect
and openness. I recognize that to do this may be difficult
because TRUE friendship with the opposite gender is
often harder to achieve, but it is not impossible. My life
experience has taught me that worthwhile things often
require tremendous effort.
There are many things we must do in order to have good
collaboration with others in engineering or technology
field. In my opinion, some of the key ones are;
• Clear roles and responsibilities
• Aligned objectives and priorities
• Defined ownership and accountability
• Open communication and everyone has a voice
• Strong leadership to resolve conflicts and set direction
And of course there are many others.
However, there is one fundamental ingredient in the
recipe of success when crossing gender boundaries and it
is simply “camaraderie”. We must be able to trust, respect,
share, and have fun with each other in order to feel a sense
of connection and of belongingness.
Now let me point out that such cross-gender relationships
characterized by mutually acceptable humorous
repartee like the one I’ve described, do require a sense of
shared responsibility. For example, those of us in such
relationships must remain cognizant that even the most
innocent exchange in the presence of those outside the
relationship could be misinterpreted. Hence, we must
know “who’s in the room,” and behave accordingly. We
should also be willing to coach and mentor other women
in strategies for being included.
One last thought: the next time we hear a friendly
comment, don’t judge it! Instead step back, think about
the bigger context, and realize that those comments
could be exchanged between people with a pre-existing
relationship based on trust, mutual respect and
camaraderie!
Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology | Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing
Thursday, 8:30-9:45 AM
Centennial Ballroom I – IV
About Duy-Loan T. Le
Duy-Loan Le came to America with nothing but the clothes on her
back at the age of 12. Four years later, Duy-Loan graduated as
Valedictorian of her high school at 16. In 1982, she graduated from
The University of Texas in Austin with BSEE Magna Cum Laude
and started as a memory design engineer at the age of 19 with
Texas Instruments. Duy-Loan received her MBA from The University
of Houston in 1989. She is currently the World Wide Advanced
Technology Ramp Manager, overseeing development projects using
innovative technology, at Texas Instruments.
In 2002, Duy-Loan became the first Asian and the first woman to
be elected to the rank of Senior Fellow (equivalent to a Senior Vice
President on the management track), joining four men who held this
prestigious title worldwide at the time at Texas Instruments (TI).
Today Duy-Loan remains the only woman to hold this title in TI’s 80
years of history. Duy-Loan holds 23 patents with 7 pending applications.
She has been featured in IEEE (the Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers) SPECTRUM, Asian Enterprise trade journals, a
book titled “The Pride of Vietnamese”, and numerous local and international
newspapers. Duy-Loan serves on the Board of Directors for
National Instruments, a publicly traded company on NASDAQ headquartered
in Austin. Duy-Loan is a registered Professional Engineer
(PE) and is frequently invited to speak at Fortune 500 companies.
Duy-Loan has a very long list of accolades. Her favorites include
Women in Technology International (WITI) Hall of Fame, National
Technologist of the Year, TimesPeople, Asian American Engineer of
The Year, Who’s Who in the World, Women of Vision: Leadership,
PINK’s Top 15 Women in Business, VANG’s Golden Torch with United
States Congressional Recognition for Civic Leadership. One of TI’s
DSP chips, under Duy-Loan’s leadership, was recognized in 2004
Guinness World Records.
Duy-Loan’s service to the community is extensive. Among the many
things that she does in America and internationally, she most enjoys
providing education assistance for children and supporting social
economic developments projects in 12 different countries through
two 501c3 organizations, the Mona Foundation and the Sunflower
Mission.
Duy-Loan Le has been married to her husband Tuan N. Dao for 27
years. She has two boys, Quy-Dan 16 and Quy-Don 13. She enjoys
deep-sea fishing, reading, movie, classical music, painting, and
playing poker. Duy-Loan also holds a black belt in Tae-Kwon-Do and
has won several medals and trophies in the state of Texas.
79