MOMENTUM • VIRGINIA TECH MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 19
Gwyneth Schloer works with 3D-printed soft electronics in the lab of Michael Bartlett .
think there will ever be a time in the future where I don ’ t call my dad for help with some project because he always seems to know the solution .”
Her mother , also a software engineer , passed away at the end of Schloer ’ s first year at Virginia Tech . This was a difficult period for her family , but the legacy of her mother remains one of the best motivators as she looks to the future .
“ She was a great role model for me in the STEM industry ,” said Schloer . “ She was a woman in the STEM field , one of very few , and she was a powerhouse . She was breaking the gender pay gap , she was intelligent , and she knew it .”
Schloer ’ s history with Northrop Grumman also comes courtesy of her mother , reaching back to Schloer ’ s earliest days . This connection unveiled in living color while she was at the Dulles Northrop Grumman building .
“ When my mom was about my age in her young 20s , she actually worked for Northrop Grumman ,” she said . “ I was a baby , and I went to day care there every day . It ’ s kind of crazy now to walk into the same building where I ’ m working and know that I used to go to day care there .”
Schloer defines herself comfortably as an overachiever , and achieving five degrees in five years is concrete evidence of that . When she looks back on the last four years , though , the personal connections she has made are the factors that bring it all together and help her find balance . On weekends , she joins friends to traverse local hiking trails , get outdoors , and reset . These times of reflection have helped her keep her perspective and a healthy balance between work and life .
“ Getting five degrees in five years has definitely been a bit of a challenge ,” she said . “ There definitely have been times when I ’ ve gotten stressed about the boatloads of work and extracurriculars , but I don ’ t think there ’ s ever been a time that I ’ ve regretted doing all the work that I ’ ve been doing . I really enjoy having such a well-rounded education .”