Her Story
About Madhulika
Madhulika Jha is a computer engineer with more than 15 years of experience in the avionics, aerospace, and defense industry, where she specializes in missile defense and fighter jets defense. She earned a computer engineering degree from Purdue University and an MS from Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania. Throughout her career, Jha has spent 10 years working on commercial airplanes before moving into defense contracting roles, including opportunities with the United States Marine Corps at Air Station Yuma, Arizona, Raytheon, and U.S. Army projects. She manages daily interactions with customers internally and externally, leads meetings, updates management on project progress, and coordinates with fellow engineers. Jha attributes her success to maintaining a progressive path, her educational background, and support from industry professionals. She values honesty, integrity, and meeting goals, and advises young women entering the field to persist through roadblocks with determination and motivation, noting that her Asian American background has presented short-term challenges with discrimination that ultimately resolve through hard work.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Madhulika
01What do you attribute your success to?
I have always used a progressive path. Whatever it is, always move forward, never leave behind or never regret for the failures, and keep a progressive path. That have always made me very successful. My educational background and support from the industry people has been very rewarding.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I would say that I keep working hard towards your goal, even if you miss any objectives, I mean, you just follow the path towards the goal, and I think everything else will fall into the place. Eventually, if you have missed a target, or missed a turn, it will eventually follow back to your path, and you will achieve your ultimate success if you work hard.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
There are many roadblocks you will see, you shouldn't get nervous about some of the roadblocks or any hindrances that you see in the path in the beginning, but eventually they will all fall back with your determination and motivation. If you see you are scared because it's male-dominated, or if it's like you are a beginner and you have less training than the others, but that doesn't mean that you cannot achieve your goals. You will definitely achieve it, and don't get scared off the roadblocks.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
There are challenges about sometimes because my background is an Asian American, so I have challenges facing people from different backgrounds, from different race, religion, and so sometimes feel like discriminated, but that is just a short-term failure, a short-term for both of us, because whoever gets work better will get a better position later on.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I value honesty, integrity, walking towards your goals, and meeting goals in your life.
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