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Three Female GM Engineers Who are Fueling the Future

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Trista Schieffer

Trista Schieffer, Lead Development Engineer, Battery Electric Vehicles
© General Motors

General Motors recently found itself among the NAFE’s Top 50 Companies for Executive Women, but company CEO Mary Barra is of the belief that GM’s work has only just begun. She believes that the automotive industry stands to undergo changes in the next decade that will be even more substantial than that which it has seen in the last 50 years.

A major component of these changes will be the increasing role that women play in developing new technologies. GM recently spotlighted three leading women in three areas that are the beneficiary of continued rapid advancement—electric vehicles, infotainment systems, and software development.

Trista Schieffer is the Lead Development Engineer for battery electric vehicles at GM, which makes her a vital contributor to the success of vehicles such as the new Chevy Volt, Cadillac ELR, and the upcoming production version of the Bolt EV Concept.


Related info: Help Increase the Number of Women in the Car Industry


Rebecca Roth, infotainment software developer

Rebecca Roth, infotainment software developer

“I love problem solving,” said Schieffer. “I collaborate with people to deliver efficient solutions to solve ride, handling, noise, vibration, comfort, storage, heating, cooling, safety, energy efficiency – all aspects of a vehicle. Together we make sure the parts and systems are integrated so the vehicle performs in the manner our customers anticipate. As vehicles rely less and less on traditional fuel systems—or, in certain cases, not at all—we face new challenges.”

Rebecca Roth helps develop GM’s infotainment software, namely Smart Grid—a system that allows for two-way communication between electric companies and either the homeowner or their electric vehicle in order to maximize electric charging and reduce cost.

Jessica Moreno

Jessica Moreno, Program Manager, V2V Security Credential Management

“We’re developing software to make everything simpler and greener,” said Roth. “As a coder, I love it when software can make a person’s life easier and make the world a better place.”

Jessica Moreno is the Program Manager for V2V Security Credential Management, meaning that she is responsible for the security of information shared over a developing vehicle-to-vehicle system. It’s expected that the 2017 CTS will be the first vehicle in the US to use V2V.

“The software that we’re developing helps certify that a vehicle is a trusted and reliable source of information thereby allowing it to communicate with other vehicles on the road,” Moreno explains. “I have two small children and vehicle safety is extremely important to me.”


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