Monday Welcome Keynote Address

Keynote description: Educators, advisors and parents of engineering students have the dual responsibility of building technical competence and necessary skills for their students to be successful in the workplace once the students graduate.

The Journal of Engineering Education reported in a recent study that 40 to 50% of engineering students drop out or switch to other majors due to the rigors of the curriculum, lack of support and poor connection between the teaching and advising. This erosion continues into the workplace when an engineer graduates but is unable to translate the technical competence to the practical application under uncertainty in a process driven networked organization.

Benchmarking studies by the Corporate Executive board has shown that STEM talent is more difficult to engage and that they are less effective at enterprise contribution. The first year experience is crucial in having a positive impact on these statistics and enabling these students to be successful in the workplace. The demands on educators and advisors are immense but the investment in preparing students to connect their technical skills with an ability to communicate with impact, collaboratively solve complex problems and practically implement solutions will result in successful enterprise contributors.

Miray S. Pereira is a global business executive with broad management experience including technical leadership, operations, finance, consulting, environmental regulatory compliance, global business management, enterprise performance & change management, strategy development and mergers & acquisitions.

Ms. Pereira brings more than 35 years of experience with DuPont and currently manages the corporate flagship Field Engineering Program responsible for the staffing and development of early career engineering talent that will support delivery of successful integrated science into the future for the corporation. She has a track record of building strong teams and developing talent to achieve results which have included double digit revenue growth; double digit earnings growth; cash flow management; regulatory & community relationships; safety, quality & productivity improvements; new product launches; and strategic mergers & acquisitions.

Ms. Pereira is also course chair and adjunct professor for Drexel University College of Engineering Masters in Engineering Management and Systems Engineering programs with a focus on strategy, risk management and visual systems.

Ms. Pereira holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, an executive Masters of Business Administration degree from Rutgers University Graduate School of Management, and was a recipient of a Beta Gamma Sigma Award.

Ms. Pereira has served on several for-profit, not-for profit, and academic advisory boards. She was President of the board of directors of DuPont Medical Packaging Systems Inc. She has served as board president and founding board member of Dress for Success Delaware and was a recipient of the DuPont Volunteer recognition award for community service. She is also a founder for the Fund for Women of Delaware.

As an educator, she is a keen advocate supporting STEM education and the development of women and people of color in management, engineering and related sciences through mentoring in the MentorNet program as well as for Women Unlimited. She has served on the Advisory Board for the Packaging School at San Jose State University and is currently a Seinbright Advisory Board member for Drexel University. Ms. Pereira also has a particular interest in business ethics and has served as an executive judge for Loyola Marymount University’s National Intercollegiate Business Ethics Competitions.

DuPont (NYSE: DD) has been bringing world-class science and engineering to the global marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials, and services since 1802. The company believes that by collaborating with customers, governments, NGOs, and thought leaders we can help find solutions to such global challenges as providing enough healthy food for people everywhere, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, and protecting life and the environment.

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