Since childhood, I’ve had an incessant desire to understand how the pieces of the Universe fit together. I gained some tools and skills necessary to explore those questions during college: Professor James Demas took a chance on me, a young woman from rural Virginia, training me to ask the right questions and design experiments to answer them. His belief and trust in me helped me believe in myself; his encouragement inspired me to pursue my PhD in ultrafast spectroscopy, which jump-started my career in ultrafast optics.

I serve as a subject-matter expert in ultrafast laser applications. In addition to helping our customers select the best optics for their applications, I help develop new products. I work with R&D, engineering, and factory operations to ensure that our customers receive the latest and greatest in ultrafast laser optics technologies.

The decision to transition from academia to industry was difficult. I had dreamed of a career spent delivering university lectures and guiding researchers in my own laboratory. The further I advanced, however, the more I realized that I had other professional and personal goals that were more important. Through a lot of research, networking, and interviews, I found the things that I loved most about academia — sharing my passion for STEM and solving tangible problems — in my current position. I found a career path that works for me, and I consider that my greatest accomplishment thus far.

Don’t try to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders! Too often, I’ve viewed my successes and failures through the lens of representing my entire gender. If I failed, I worried that I was letting down all other women in STEM. When I didn’t understand a concept or struggled to align a laser, I thought I was providing another data point for the argument of why women aren’t cut out to pursue STEM careers.

I hope my legacy empowers other women and gender minorities to pursue technical careers in male-dominated fields. I hope that someone is able to look at my career path and say, “If Olivia can do that, so can I!” Most of us are quick to assume that making an impact has to come from grand accomplishments or lofty gestures. In reality, each of us is crafting our impact every moment of every day. I hope that the moments of my life and career leave a legacy of empowerment and inclusivity.

Olivia Wheeler-Williams
Ultrafast Laser Optics Engineer, Edmund Optics
Born in United States / Resides in United States
Educational Background: BS in Chemistry, University of Virginia, United States; PhD in Physical Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States