Global Systems Training Widens Kristen Bengtson’s Career Pathway
Global Integrated Systems and Engineering Certificate
Kristen Bengtson fell in love with "space stuff" at age 4 when she saw astronaut Sally Ride on Sesame Street and decided she wanted to be an astronaut too. Bengtson started flying lessons at age 15 and loved it. She soloed at 16, earned her pilot's license at 17, and is a certified flight instructor.
"I love the freedom of flying, and manipulating the controls." Bengston said, "and it's an engineering application."
After earning her BS in aerospace engineering from the University of Illinois, Bengtson joined The Boeing Company in 2004, first working in military units as a systems engineer, then moving to the commercial side to gain manufacturing experience as a liaison engineer with a 737 preflight integration team.
"It was a great learning experience to see the entire build cycle of an airplane," Bengtson said.
During her next assignment, in Boeing Research and Technology, she jumped back into systems engineering, looking at methods and tools to increase productivity and reduce airplane construction costs, including support of the 787 composite repair team. During this period she also enrolled part-time at the UW to earn her master's degree in industrial and systems engineering.
"The systems engineers at Boeing seemed to know everything about everything, and I wanted to gain the technical background they had," Bengtson said. "A cool aspect of the UW ISE program is the opportunity to earn specialized certificates."
Bengtson is especially enthusiastic about Global Integrated Systems and Engineering (GISE) certificate program, which she completed in March 2009. Her kudos for the program include the exceptional integration of course material and fantastic professors, whom she got to know well, because all three participated in every session.
"I like to see the big picture in everything," Bengtson said. "The GISE program trains you how to analyze and manage projects from a systems, global, and multicultural perspective. Boeing's customers and suppliers are worldwide, so this course was relevant to my work and my career goal to move into a management position."
Her advanced training and diverse skill sets, and different approaches to thinking about problems, drew attention of Boeing program managers, who recruited her for special projects that quickly broadened her experience further. During her last eight months based in the Puget Sound region, she was acting manager for a 787 standards team with responsibility for documenting, developing, and implementing standards processes and communicating milestones.
Early this year, Bengtson moved to the other side of the country with her husband, an Air Force C-17 pilot. She transferred to Boeing's Defense Systems Unit in Philadelphia, working with a team developing a strategy and business model for contracting with universities for engineering services. Boeing builds helicopters at the Philadelphia facility, and now Bengtson has set her sights on learning all about their design and build process.
About the GISE Certificate
GISE is a hands-on, practical program that emphasizes systems engineering, project management, finance, and supply chain management.
- Gain problem-solving and analytical skills necessary to excel in today's global business environment.
- Focus on systems engineering, project management and finance, combined with a multicultural emphasis.
- Learn innovative techniques used by industry to design and optimize complex systems that exist across a variety of engineering disciplines.
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