Alumna soars to new heights with engineering honor

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

An alumna of industrial engineering at Oklahoma State University received the prestigious “Most Promising Engineer” honor from the American Indian Science and Engineering Society.  Lauren Wolf was a 2009 graduate of OSU and credits her leadership ability and career success to training she gained as a student.

Wolf is currently a tool design engineer for the 787 Dreamliner at The Boeing Company in Charleston, SC. She is responsible for designing and modifying aerospace manufacturing tools that incorporate safety, ergonomic and regulatory requirements for various production lines. Wolf served as one of the youngest industrial engineers on the new 787 Final Assembly team in South Carolina. She also co-led a cross-functional engineering team thatgenerated site-wide metrics in safety, quality, performance-to-plan, schedule and cost. Wolf has also worked for Lockheed Martin as a supplier quality engineer supporting the Hellfire II and DAGR missile programs and Apache helicopter fire control systems.

Wolf holds a certificate in Lean Manufacturing from the Oklahoma Alliance for Manufacturing Excellence, and is currently a master’s of science candidate in Human Factors at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

While at OSU, Wolf was active in her sorority and the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology Student Council.  She is currently an active member of the Society of Women Engineers, Institute of Industrial Engineers and serves on the National Advisory Board for the National Association of Engineering StudentCouncils. She is also a founding member of the Women in Aviation chapter inCharleston.

“The leadership roles I had at OSU helped equip me for my career,” said Wolf.  “It’s all about how much effort you give – you can accomplish anything through hard work.”

It is this mindset that has made Wolf a leader not only in her field but among her peers as well.

“I would encourage others to pursue engineering and find a way to impact the world,” said Wolf. “I hope to be an example of how anyone can break the stereotype that there no opportunities for young people with my background.”

As a member of the Choctaw Tribe of Oklahoma, Wolf helps mentor Girl Scouts through programs that introduce and encourage girls to explore fields of science and engineering.

As the recipient of this award, Wolf will serve as a spokesperson throughout the year to assorted groups representing her Native American heritage and impressive accomplishments as a young engineer.