Nancy Summers is a field engineer for the Oceaneering Technologies (OTECH) group headquartered in Maryland. In her position, she enjoys bringing her unique skill set to the table.
“Strong engineering teams are built with people with both a classical education as well as those from ‘Back Deck U’ to craft stronger solutions for the end user.”
Nancy started her career at Oceaneering almost 24 years ago working in the Gulf of Mexico as a tender in the Diving division.
After damaging her knee, she was unable to continue as a diver and transferred to the ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) group, where she spent several years on the US-flagged multiservice vessel Ocean Intervention® working with the Millennium® ROV. She went onto serve as the associate product manager for the AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle) Echo Ranger. She later transferred to OTECH after the Echo Ranger was discontinued.
“My time in Maryland has brought me full circle in my career by returning me to hyperbarics where I work with the Submarine Rescue System [SRDRS].”
Nancy said that she and her team have become like a family unit over time. “I’m an advocate, sister, and sometimes a bossy mom,” she said.
The biggest challenge for Nancy has been knowing when to accept ‘no’ for an answer and walk away.
“[The way to] overcome this is picking your battles wisely. Nothing should be taken personally.”
She added, “I have heard the term ‘breaking through the glass ceiling’ in reference to women in the industry. My belief is this glass ceiling is often an internal barrier. You are the only one that can put a limit to what you can accomplish.”
Nancy said that the next generation of female engineers should have a flexible mindset.
“On the education side, one thing I have noted is that quite often engineers end up not working in their field of study. A broad-based approach and flexible mindset will get you far.”
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