Elizabeth graduated from Princeton with a B.S. in mechanical and aerospace engineering and certificates in French literature and African American studies. She is currently at Boeing, where she serves as a senior environment, health and safety director for Boeing Commercial Aircraft.

This interview is part of the Career x Identity series, which provides students a look into alumni career trajectories with a focus on intersections of career and identity.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What does identity mean to you and how would you describe your own identity?

My identity, simply put, is who I am. I am a white, European/American, lesbian woman in STEM.

How has your identity/identities affected your career path/exploration?

From school, and throughout my career, I have been the “only” in the room most of the time. There have been plenty of times in my career when my identity could have impacted how I was perceived by colleagues, but thanks to my foundation and experiences at school, I had confidence, which helped ensure I was judged by my merit as opposed to my identity.

In what ways do you see your identities impacting your work?

I have been “out” the entire time I have worked at Boeing. I never felt that my sexual orientation was in issue. If there is one dimension of my identity that has impacted me in the workplace, it is that I am a woman. I have had the occasional unconscious bias experience — for instance, in a meeting where my opinion was glossed over, only to be considered when a man said the same thing. Fortunately, those experiences were rare. I have quite a bit of confidence, and that has gone a long way to ensuring I am listened to.

What were some challenges (if any) you faced in the workplace that were directly tied to your identity? How did you overcome them/how are you overcoming them?

I am pleased to say that I have not faced too many challenges in the workplace. I have come across a lot of members of the LGBTQIA+ community who are not comfortable being out at work. Our business resource groups offer a great support network for tackling those sorts of challenges. I have also found that being a visible, out leader has given others confidence to be out as well. 

I have moved around a lot over my last eight years with Boeing, and found that when I don’t come out right away to a new team, coming out becomes a bigger deal. 

I also found myself having to gender-correct, leading to awkward conversations. I now make a point of bringing my wife up early into meeting new teams or dealing with new people. At Boeing, we also have something called “diversity blueprints”, which I use to introduce myself to new teams as a method to share my identity early. 

How do you go about figuring out what kind of work environment/company is right for you? What are some questions a student might ask that would give them a realistic idea of a company’s DE&I practices?

First, I always mention my wife in job interviews. The reaction of the interview panel tells me a lot about inclusion on their team. Students can learn a lot from companies that research and monitor corporations, e.g., Diversity Inc. or the Human Rights Campaign. 

I’d also suggest asking what diversity and inclusion expectations there are for leaders of the company — is diversity and inclusion built into performance management in any way?

What advice do you have for students as they reflect on their identities — how might it play a role in their career development journey?

Be your true self. For many in the LGBTQIA+ community, they face a choice around whether to be “out” at work. It is exhausting to hide your true self at work, which is both unpleasant and ends up detracting from your work performance. We spend most of our waking hours at work; it should be an environment we enjoy living in.