Alumna returns to deliver distinguished lecture
Mechanical engineering alumna Uma Jayaram M.S. '88, Ph.D. '91 shared her journey to becoming the global head of PAIR at Electronic Arts during a talk on the Blacksburg campus in February.
When you hear the company “Electronic Arts," also known as EA, you might immediately associate it with video games such as EA SPORTS Madden NFL and The Sims. However, the video game company's impact extends beyond virtual touchdowns and character creation. As the global head of Partnerships for Academia and Industry Research (PAIR) at EA, mechanical engineering alumna Uma Jayaram M.S. '88, Ph.D. '91 utilizes her vantage point as an engineer to address the challenges and opportunities of our times.
In collaboration with the Virginia Tech College of Engineering, the Student Engineers’ Council (SEC) hosted Jayaram on the Blacksburg campus in February. At the group’s Engineers’ Week distinguished lecture, students gathered in Haymarket Theatre to hear about Jayaram’s journey and ask questions while alumni tuned into the presentation online.
The journey that led Jayaram back to Blacksburg
Jayaram made history by being the first woman admitted to the mechanical engineering program at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, for her undergraduate studies. Her academic career continued as a master’s degree student at Virginia Tech, where she designed optimal flows for hypersonic inlets and parametric models for aircraft, funded by NASA. She went on to complete her Ph.D. at Virginia Tech in computer-aided design, interactive computer graphics, and mathematical geometric surface modeling for aircraft.
At Washington State University, Jayaram co-founded the Virtual Reality and Computer Integrated Manufacturing Lab with a mission to explore how virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) could enhance engineering design and manufacturing. The lab’s research, faculty, and students were the catalysts for three startup ventures. Notably, the third startup was acquired by Intel, leading to the creation of Intel True VR. This groundbreaking technology delivered the first-ever VR experience during the 2018 Winter Olympics and found applications in the NFL and NBA.
Jayaram is an American Society of Mechanical Engineers fellow, an honor that recognizes outstanding achievements in mechanical engineering. Her contributions span diverse sectors, including media and entertainment, engineering design, manufacturing, aerospace, and gaming. Jayaram serves as a member of the Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering Advisory Board and was inducted into the Mechanical Engineering Society of Distinguished Alumni in 2019.
The strengths of an engineer
Among those who attended Jayaram's presentation was Grant Stiglich, a sophomore computer science student and chair of the SEC Engineers’ Week.
“Being able to hear from Uma Jayaram was such an impactful experience due to her lifetime contributions and life-long learning,” Stiglich said. “Her message spoke volumes to why engineers are so important and why the world needs them more than ever.”
During her presentation, Jayaram talked about her work in academia, start-ups, and corporations, and she underscored the core strengths of an engineer:
- Critical thinking and systems thinking skills
- A foundation in ethics
- Solid theoretical foundations
- The ability to thrive in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous situations
These qualities also uniquely equip engineers to address the challenges and opportunities presented by AI today. Some areas of focus needed in the AI landscape include ethical considerations, talent development, strategic integration, and the establishment of regulatory standards.
Jayaram also highlighted that engineers often grapple with valid and opposing perspectives in our ever-evolving world. Differing viewpoints, such as the impacts of AI, can divide people — those who lack hope for the future and those who embrace it.
“I really want to make the call to choose hope,” Jayaram said. “Let us as engineers work to build the future.”
Serve as stewards for the next generation
As a woman in engineering, Jayaram recognizes the importance of having advocates in the room as well as mentors who understand the challenges women in STEM encounter. For her, that influential figure was her mother, who earned her master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Washington in 1955, when there were even fewer women in the field. Jayaram described how her mother passed the torch to her, inspiring her to actively contribute to building her future as an engineer. Each generation of engineers has the important responsibility of paving the path for the next generation of engineers.
“As we shape that future, we must utilize our talents to serve as stewards for the generations to come,” Jayaram said.
The talk was followed by a Q&A session with the audience submitting many questions. In response to one of the questions, Jayaram shared how in her formative years, her seventh grade teacher imparted a timeless lesson: “Give the world the best you have and the best will come back to you.” This wisdom has threaded its way through Jayaram’s career, becoming a quote she frequently shared with her students in turn on the last day of class during her time as a professor.
Inspiring today’s women in engineering
During Engineers’ Week, Jayaram’s presence on campus resonated with fellow Hokie women in engineering. Among those inspired was Marcelina Krowinska, a senior in computer science and president of the SEC.
“Uma’s journey through engineering resonated deeply with me. Her presentation beautifully encapsulated the multifaceted path that engineers tread, emphasizing the importance of cherishing each step toward our goals, guided by the belief that the whole is other than the sum of its parts,” said Krowinska. “As a fellow woman in the field, witnessing her speak with unwavering power and confidence was truly impactful. The inspiration gleaned from our conversation with her will undoubtedly propel us to overcome challenges and shatter barriers on our own engineering odysseys.”
Broadening representation in engineering will only become more important as developments in AI demand the highest excellence from those working to solve today's complex problems.
“Our humanity and ingenuity will continue to matter in the age of AI,” Jayaram said. “Let us as engineers bring together our work with atoms, pixels, and AI to create a better and more compassionate world.”
