From the Factory Floor to System Design: Why Women in STEM Matter with Kristen Eckart

When we talk about reliability, we usually focus on materials, processes, test methods, and standards.
But what if one of the most overlooked reliability risks is who is not at the table when engineering decisions are made?

Today’s episode focuses on women in STEM, Science technology engineering and mathematics, and why this conversation extends far beyond mere representation. It impacts how problems are defined, how risks are identified, and how resilient our technologies ultimately become.

My guest is Kristen Eckart, an accomplished engineer whose career includes working in high-reliability environments at Lockheed Martin.

While Kristen’s background includes complex systems where failure is not an option, this conversation is not about any specific product or program. Instead, it is about the broader experience of women in engineering, the barriers that still exist, and why attracting and retaining women in STEM is essential to the future of technology and manufacturing.

For those of you working in electronics manufacturing, quality, reliability, or engineering leadership, this discussion connects directly to how teams make better decisions, reduce risk, and design systems that perform reliably in the real world.

This is a conversation about engineering excellence, opportunity, and why who we include ultimately matters.