Erica Redline recognized nationally for her mentoring leadership

Erica Redline has dedicated more than 10 years at Sandia Labs to advancing polymer science by developing next-generation materials, including those that withstand extreme environments to significantly improve the durability of photovoltaic solar panels. A principal member of the technical staff in the Special Technologies Department, she is widely published and holds four U.S. patents, with five more pending.

Throughout her career, Erica has inspired hundreds of middle and high school students, as well as university students, to explore STEM fields. Her commitment to mentorship earned her the international Ignite Award from the Society of Women Engineers, recognizing her contributions to advancing women in STEM.

Erica’s journey as a mentor began as an undergraduate student at Penn State, where she tutored students in an introductory biology course. She later mentored high school students at Penn State’s Materials Science Summer Camp. Erica said these experiences were life-changing and emphasized for her the importance of outreach activities to expose young women to STEM majors.

As a first-generation college student from a small blue-collar town, Erica wished she had encountered a role model in high school who could illustrate the possibilities of a STEM degree. “When I was a student, I had no idea the breadth of STEM careers out there,” she recalled. “I had four years to get a degree — that’s what my budget would cover. Having a mentor might have helped me find and focus on my career in engineering and materials science much earlier.”

As an advocate for women in STEM, Erica has collaborated with Girl Scouts, judged the New Mexico Science Bowl, and led activities for Manos, a hands-on program led by Sandia’s Hispanic Outreach for Leadership and Awareness. She also has co-developed interactive science demonstrations for Sandia’s Take Your Kids to Work Day and co-taught a Sandia course on Hands-On Minds-On Technology for local students, which utilized Sandia’s dognapping curriculum to introduce students to forensic science.

Erica has worked closely with the University of Minnesota’s Council for the Advancement of Underrepresented Scientists and Engineers, or CAUSE, an organization that focuses on recruiting, retaining and professionally developing science and engineering graduate students of color and first-generation college students. She has appeared on 3M’s Champions of Science Podcast, mentored students through the University of New Mexico’s Upward Bound Program for college-bound high school students and served as a career mentor in various professional organizations.

Recently, Erica has shifted her focus to individual mentoring, aiming to create a lasting impact on university and professional women by helping them achieve their next-level STEM career goals.

“I think a one-on-one experience is more impactful,” she said. “Advocating for groups gives me just one opportunity in front of a lot of people, but one-on-one mentoring can really make a difference. I feel I can do more than generate a spark to get women into a STEM pipeline. I can help keep them in the pipeline and create the next generation of mentors to inspire younger scientists and engineers.”

The Society of Women Engineers advances and honors the contributions of women at all stages of their careers. SWE recognizes the successes of its members, individuals, allies and employers who enhance the engineering profession through contributions to industry, education and the community. The Ignite Award honors individuals who have significantly contributed to the advancement of women by mentoring those around them.