Date: Monday, November 20, 2023

Time: 12:30 p.m. - 1:20 p.m.

Location: Van Leer, C240

Speaker: Mary Lynn Smith

Speakers' Title: Senior Antenna and Microwave Engineer/Project Engineer

Seminar Title: Six Keys to Success

Abstract:
The talk will start with a brief summary of Mary Lynn’s career.  Each of the six keys to success – Communication, Know Your Options, Manage Your Risks, Continue to Learn and Grow, Plan for the Unexpected, and Work/Life Balance will be discussed in detail using some of Mary Lynn’s experiences as examples.

Biographical Sketch of the Speaker:
Mary Lynn Smith was a Senior Antenna and Microwave Engineer/Project Engineer for Viasat, Inc.  As a Senior Antenna and Microwave Engineer, Mary Lynn was responsible for the electrical design of feeds, subreflectors, and antenna designs.  She was also responsible for managing the cost, quality elements, performance, schedule, and technical aspects of antenna systems as a Project Engineer.

In 1995, Mary Lynn joined Viasat (formerly the Satellite Network Division of Scientific Atlanta) as an Antenna & Microwave Engineer.  During this time Mary Lynn has designed tracking and non-tracking antennas covering the range from 200 MHz to 44 GHz, and frequency selective surface (FSS) subreflectors for dual and tri-band operation.  In addition to her design work, Mary Lynn has also been the project engineer and/or program manager on numerous projects.  These included a 3 C-band 6/9m antenna limited motion communication network, full autotracking L/S-band systems, a program tracking L/S-band system, a UHF transmit upgrade to an existing S/X-band full autotracking system, 4 C/X-band 9m antenna limited motion network, multiple 3m X-band antenna systems, Ka-band horn, polarizer, and diplexer for second generation consumer user terminal, Ka-band antenna system portion of an airborne user terminal, Ku/Ka-band and Ka-band antenna system portion of an airborne user terminals, and a portion of Viasat3.  In 2006, as Limited Motion Product Line Manager, Mary Lynn was responsible for maintaining, improving, and expanding the limited motion product line of antennas.  From 2007 to 2011, as VGate Champion for AS, Mary Lynn was responsible for helping to develop templates to support the VGate process which Viasat uses to develop and manage programs.  She also helped in implementing and training others to use the process.  In 2009, she was the Acting Antenna and Microwave Engineering.  From 2009 to 2015, as the ViaSearch Site Lead for AS, where she defined what searches were needed, involved in the development testing and early roll out of the ViaSearch tool created to search various systems and databases at Viasat for information.  In 2012, Mary Lynn created and taught a training course on project engineering for Viasat’s JAST division in Switzerland. 

From 2015 to 2019, as the Product Brazing Lead, Mary Lynn addressed product priorities and issues with existing vacuum brazing suppliers as well as developed and instituted plan for identifying and qualifying new suppliers.  As the Antenna Engineering Community internal wiki site lead from 2009 to present, Mary Lynn has identified antenna capabilities and tools to the broader Viasat internal audience.  This expanded in 2016 to be the internal wiki site lead for the Duluth business area as well.  She also has facilitated the Antenna Engineering Working group from 2009 to present and the Project Engineering Working Group from 2016 to present and coordinates both group’s internal wiki sites and is developing training for both groups.  Mary Lynn managed the antenna test ranges and range personnel from 2016 to 2017.  She also was the Project Engineer on the Duluth portion of Viasat 3 Satellite from 2016 to 2019.  From 2019 to 2023, she was the Antenna and Microwave Engineering Manager and managed the outdoor pattern test range.  From 2023 to present, as Senior Antenna and Microwave Engineer, she assists with designs and mentors younger engineers.  She also assists project engineers whenever the opportunity arises.

Mary Lynn worked at Watkins-Johnson Company in San Jose, CA, as a Member of the Technical Staff in the Antenna Department, Electronic Equipment Division from 1988-1995.  She received a B.E.E. at the Georgia Institute of Technology on the Co-operative Education Plan in 1988 and her M.S.E.E. at Santa Clara University in 1994.  She has been a member of I.E.E.E. since 1983 and a Senior Member since 2007. From 2011 to 2015, Mary Lynn was the I.E.E.E Region 3 Student Activities Committee (SAC) Vice Chair and from 2012 to 2015 the I.E.E.E Region 3 Student Professional Awareness Conference (S-PAC) Coordinator. From 2022-present, she is the I.E.E.E Melbourne Section Student Branch Activities Chair, K-12 Chair, and Young Professionals Chair.  As of July 1, 2021, she was elected to the Georgia Tech Alumni Association’s Board of Trustees.