Driven by scientific curiosity, Susan Waggoner dedicated her career to electronics engineering, particularly energy and power in batteries. She started as an engineering technician at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Indiana in 1978, and was promoted to electronics engineer of test and measurement equipment four years later. Ms. Waggoner rose again within the company in 1991, this time to electronics engineer of energy and power. She remained in the role until her retirement.
One of the highlights of Ms. Waggoner’s journey was obtaining patents for methods and systems of detecting leakage of energy storage structure liquids. She was thrilled to make a difference in her field. To further spread her reach, Ms. Waggoner served as a steering committee member with the Joint Service Power Expo and the Power Sources Conference for many years. She was also active as the conference chair of the Joint Service Power Expo. In recognition of her efforts, she was honored with the Value Engineering Special Award from the Department of Defense in 2000.
Ms. Waggoner prepared for her endeavors by earning an Associate of Science, a Bachelor of Arts in journalism, a Bachelor of Arts in physics, and a master’s degree in public affairs from Indiana University in 1975, 1976, 1982, and 1991, respectively. She then joined prominent professional organizations like the American Society of Naval Engineers, the Federal Managers Association, and the National Defense Industrial Association.
If Ms. Waggoner could offer some advice to the younger generations, it would be to have thick skin, a broad knowledge base, and a desire to be the best.
