| She is the granddaughter of William Lincoln Bakewell, the only American to take part in Ernest Shackleton's 1914 Antarctic expedition. And like her grandfather, Dr. Rajala is no stranger to “firsts.”
In 1979 she became the first woman professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the first woman PhD faculty member in the College of Engineering at NC State.
In 1993 when she was appointed director of the Center for Advanced Computing and Communication, she became the first woman in the College to serve as a director of a research center.
In 1996 she was appointed associate dean of academic affairs, making her the first woman to hold any dean’s title in the College of Engineering.
In October 2002 she became the first woman to serve as associate dean of research and graduate programs in the College of Engineering.
As a woman in a male-dominated field, Dr. Rajala faced many challenges along the way.
Under her leadership, the Women in Engineering program was initiated, the College began partnering in the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program, and the College’s K-12 programs were greatly expanded.
Dr. Rajala attributes much of the success in academic affairs to the faculty, the staff, and the students. Those who work with her know that much of the success also comes from Dr. Rajala herself — from someone with a penchant for leadership and a history of being the first to face new challenges. |
