Leading by Example | Temple University

Because she is blazing new trails for women in engineering.

After launching into her career in electrical engineering, Andrea Poosikian, ENG ’19, noticed a distinct lack of female representation in her craft. As Poosikian continues to do world-changing sustainable work for BP, she hopes to be a source of light for future women in the engineering space.

Andrea Poosikian ’19

Electrical Engineer, Onshore Wind US, BP

“There have been very few women around me in this field, and it’s made me much more energized about equity in the workplace. It’s something that needs to change, and I want to be part of that change.”

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Spark of an Idea

Poosikian can remember the moment during her junior year as an Honors engineering student when everything changed.

“I was taking power system-specific courses in electrical engineering. It might have been the subject or just that I had very good professors, but suddenly the information just clicked in my head." She had found the way to connect her technical and personal passions.

In response, she began pursuing student research opportunities. An internship at General Motors working in its hybrid propulsion systems research lab confirmed that she could continue doing the work she was passionate about—and do it in a way that promoted sustainability.

“I wasn’t going to spend eight hours a day for the rest of my life doing work that didn’t support our society’s transition away from fossil fuels,” said Poosikian. But it wasn’t just that she found her calling at Temple. Her engineering classes gave her a unique skill set that helped her stand out in the job market. In addition, her time serving as the president of the Temple chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers allowed her the opportunity to develop her leadership and management skills.

Climbing the Mountain

Post-graduation, Poosikian served as a performance engineer at BP in their central engineering function within wind, which supports all wind farms in Houston. Her role as assistant performance manager at a wind farm in Pennsylvania, however, was a life-changing experience. She was the only woman on-site and had to commute an hour up and down the side of a mountain every day.

“Those experiences deepened my technical knowledge and my ability to lead different types of people,” she said. “It was a challenge and I made mistakes, but getting out there; climbing the wind turbines; and doing low, medium and high voltage electrical work took a lot of courage and persistence. I was a different person coming out of it.”

Currently back in Houston, Poosikian works on the reliability engineering team for BP’s onshore wind business. This role entails proactive repair, corrective repair and monitoring of the operations of a fleet of more than 1,000 turbines. She is also currently getting her master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Positive Energy

Poosikian is also the BP Onshore Wind’s STEM ambassador with a specific focus on inspiring women and minorities to choose and stay in the engineering profession. She is developing and rolling out training, and doing additional outreach to increase inclusivity and respect in the industry.

“There have been very few women around me in this field and it’s made me much more energized about equity in the workplace,” she said. “It’s something that needs to change, and I want to be part of that change.”

Philadelphia’s Only Public Research Institution

As a large, public research university, exploration and discovery of new information is embedded into all disciplines. Temple students can experience research in many ways through coursework, mentorships with professors and independent projects.

R1 Research Institution

Temple is a research powerhouse. We’re an R1 Carnegie Classification institution, which means that we’re operating at the highest level of research activity among four-year universities. Temple is one of only 131 other institutions in the U.S. with this classification. This status helps attract top-tier faculty, who use the latest research in the classroom and call on students to be research assistants. And it enables Temple’s campus to have the most modern, state-of-the-art academic facilities.

Undergraduate Internships

At Temple, our students prepare for their next steps long before graduation. Our undergraduate internship opportunities offer real-world, hands-on experiences so students gain the skills needed to set themselves apart for careers or graduate school.

Temple’s location in Philadelphia allows students to take on internships year-round in every industry so students can explore their interests and build professional experience easily.

And, more than 800 employers visit campus each year. Our robust alumni network—which includes over 140,000 alumni in the Philadelphia region and 330,000 worldwide—provides even more opportunities for students to receive career guidance and resources.

Philadelphia

At Temple, Philadelphia serves as a classroom for our students. We’re deeply ingrained in the city and we encourage students to take advantage of all Philadelphia has to offer. There’s never a shortage of opportunities for students to work, learn and grow.

As one of the largest cities on the East Coast and a modern center of industry, Philadelphia is rich with culture, history and opportunity. With so many alumni based in the region, students have access to internship and job experiences in one of the many companies and organizations that are based here.