Erica Gaytan works for the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center at Kirtland Air Force Base with the Lead Project Office as a Subgroup Chair within the nuclear enterprise. She currently has ten years’ experience working as an electronics engineer with the Department of Defense. Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, She earned a BSc in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas and immediately began her career working at White Sands Missile Range. She worked with a joint Service agency operating under the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Director, Operational Test and Evaluation as an electronics engineer and program analyst.

As a female engineer, Erica is a huge advocate for empowering younger girls to become interested in the STEM field. Through mentoring her younger sister, she participated in various STEM projects and programs throughout the Albuquerque community including Explora and NASA STEM. Erica has this to say: “It is important to close the gender gap and disparity in the STEM workforce by involving younger girls in STEM-related projects and programs as well as providing female mentorship and successful women role models. Through science enrichment programs, I’ve seen my little sister have fun while developing the skills to become successful in STEM and hope she will reach her full potential at each milestone.”