Electronics Weekly
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For Maria Cortez, the main design conundrum is the “tension between the ever-increasing demands for higher power versus a need to conserve energy”. “For example, artificial intelligence has been driving higher levels of power and that will only accelerate in the next few years. More specifically, AI data centres need more power out of the same cabinet, which necessitates more advanced thermal management to increase the power density,” she continues.
“10kW is the limit of current convection-cooled technology, so the next step is to move to an alternate thermal management like liquid cooled for greater efficiency. However, liquid cooling at the rack level requires the data centre to be re-engineered, so companies are motivated to find a cost-effective way to make this investment.”
Power design
There are different design challenges for automated manufacturing or industry 4.0, Maria says. For example, mobile robotics, such as warehouse automated guided vehicles, need to minimise the idle time needed to charge the batteries and the design challenge is to drive to current levels over 100A for ultra-fast charging. These power supplies need to fit into smaller spaces, which is the catalyst for higher power densities, she explains.
Another example is mil-aero, where power supplies may be exposed to harsh environments, which require ruggedisation to withstand higher temperatures, aggressive vibrations and tolerance to water and dust. Physical and electronic modifications allow power supplies to operate in hostile environments.
Before power management, Maria was a microcontroller designer. Her career choice is the result of a self-proclaimed obsession of “trying to solve the biggest problems that will make our world smarter, healthier, cleaner and safer.
“To me, power management, microcontrollers and processors are the heartbeat of a system, so it was a natural fit. They touch almost every application around us that uses electricity, so I’ve had a chance to do a deep dive into everything, from automotive powertrain, to horticulture lighting for indoor farming, to personal electronics like laptops.”
Some of these applications didn’t exist when she was studying electrical engineering, she recalls. She relishes the industry pushing beyond the current capabilities. “That level of perpetual advancement is addictive and what keeps me up late at night reading industry white papers,” she admits.
“Comfort is the enemy of innovation so most amazing engineering leaders have learnt to firewall some of their time to strive for something extraordinary even if it will often be a failure,” says Maria. She also advocates collaboration. “We need to be able to challenge each other’s ideas without feeling like we’re personally being attacked. We have a rule in my team where we commit to ruthlessly attacking a problem, which doesn’t leave room for ego. In my team, we have technical specialists for electrical, mechanical, manufacturing, software, quality, and more. I count on the team to collaborate, so everyone brings their unique perspective when highlighting opportunities and blind spots.”
Mentoring
One of Maria’s favourite endeavours is to mentor. She has always made time for it regardless of the other demands on her time, she says. “Mentoring manifests in various ways… For early career team members, I have roundtables and one-on-ones at every company location I visit around the world,” she says. “It’s given me a chance to promote talent mobility across borders and function. I proudly had a top engineer in my research and development group in the Philippines transfer out of my team and into a colleague’s team in the United States.”
She has also found speed networking successful,and co-hosted with the Women’s Leadership Initiative at Advanced Energy. At a recent one, she interviewed Tina Donikowski and Anne DelSanto, from the company’s board of directors. “I have been excited to have several male colleagues approach me with offers to host future sessions, so we’re just getting started,” she enthuses.
A lot of women (never men) ask her about imposter syndrome. “As women, we are often conditioned to be grateful, humble and downplay ourselves. There will likely be moments you don’t believe in yourself, but imposter syndrome is so damaging because an individual won’t rise above the opinion they have of themselves.
“My confidence came from preparation and a history of having done hard things. I know what I am capable of because I have the receipts to show for it. But I also know I will make mistakes because I always push myself. I urge women to recognise imposter syndrome as a useless feeling that is not rooted in reality,” she says.
Where there are barriers to gender equality, she says studies show fear and apathy are primary obstacles, while identifying that apathy is not just a woman’s issue.
“The challenges I personally have faced in a work environment range from being spoken over in a meeting to harassment to actually being unsafe at a work event. Male colleagues are often surprised when I say that, and women are not, which is an important point to reflect upon. It’s not easy to speak out on this topic or face potential criticism, but silence actively enables bad behaviour,” Maria says.
Future engineers
Her advice to young women considering a degree in electronics engineering today is that there is no better industry in which to be a change maker. “The most important advice I will always give is to demand excellence from yourself. Greatness isn’t easy to achieve, and it requires sacrifice and almost an obsessive passion,” she says.
“My journey started in college where only 12% of electrical engineers were women,” and she believes the gender gap has widened since then.
Investing time in people who would take a risk on you has opened doors she didn’t know existed. “My career plan has always been firmly owned by me, but I have found countless people who highlighted ways I could achieve my plan,” she reveals. She also recommends insisting on candid feedback from your boss on how your self-assessment aligns with their evaluation of your contributions and skills.
“I always liked assigning a letter grade to my evaluation because there is no room for ambiguity. It’s alright to disagree with your boss at first, but you should have a development plan that is written and being acted upon. If you find yourself consistently at odds about your development, then you have to ask if the job is a good fit,” she reasons. She also advises looking beyond your immediate supervisor and scheduling a 30-minute meeting with your boss’s boss once a quarter. “Come prepared to spend 15 minutes sharing information that is useful to them and 15 minutes on topics that are useful to you. I have done this in every job in my career and it gave me broader insight to the company and allowed me to socialise my work at a higher level.”
Maria also believes that most men she works with readily want equality in the industry. Gender equality is not an opinion but an action, she says, but it can be a big leap into realising that. Her advice for men in the workplace is: “First, declare yourself a male ally to yourself and your team. Second, seek to learn, just like engineers do with any other area of subject matter expertise. You can go to the source and ask women or do your own research. Third, conduct a litmus test by evaluating who are you mentoring, whose work are you praising, and who are you recommending.”
Influencing sons
A single mum, Maria has always strived to have her two sons understand her work. Every week they would hear stories about her projects and colleagues, she says, so that if she was going to be away from them, they would know it was for a good reason. “It was typical dinner conversation for them to ask about my customer visits or debugging efforts,” she says. “Of course, the stock price was their favourite topic because they knew that was their college fund… [when] the stock went up … they would give me a hug and say, ‘You did a great job at work today, Mommy!’,” she laughs.
The family conversations must have influenced them, because they both ended up in STEM. One is an undergrad studying neuroscience and biomathematics, and the other is starting medical school this year. “My advice for them was to find something they truly love because whatever path they chose they had to be prepared to have an incredible work ethic. They’ve often heard me say that I will not be outworked and that’s [hard to do] if you don’t have a passion for what you’re doing. I also never shied away from the practical aspects of their career choices … and I advised them to consider potential salary when weighing their choices. STEM needs so many talented people that it is a wonderful foundation for a career.”
