IEEE WIE Distinguished Volunteer and Mentor series highlights a dedicated WIE volunteer who is well known for his/her notable contribution to IEEE WIE.

In this issue, we feature Kayla Taylor, WIE Affinity Group Chair, Daytona Section.

IEEE WIE: How has your experience with IEEE WIE shaped your career and personal growth?

Taylor: My PhD advisor first suggested that I join my community’s IEEE WIE affinity group in Spring 2025, and my involvement in WIE soon became a foundational component of my professional development and personal growth in engineering. Coming from a background in astronomy, physics, and statistics, WIE immediately provided me with a welcoming community of interdisciplinary engineers who each helped me understand how I could leverage my previous degrees and experience to navigate my ongoing educational journey. The networking opportunities, mentorship, and resources that WIE has made available to me have significantly eased the shift I am making into the field of engineering.

IEEE WIE: What innovative projects or initiatives are you currently working on that you believe will make a significant impact?

Taylor: Several of my ongoing projects use Humanistic-STEM (H-STEM) as an interdisciplinary lens to tackle challenges that require both technological innovation and ethical reasoning, such as the responsible integration of artificial intelligence in the aerospace and aviation industries. These projects recognize that science and technology do not exist and progress in a vacuum; they are simultaneously shaped by culture, social norms, and human-centered values. Ultimately, I believe that using H-STEM in this way will help create impactful solutions to science and engineering-related issues that reflect the needs and voices of the people the solutions will serve.

IEEE WIE: Can you share a moment when you overcame a significant challenge in your professional journey and what you learned from it?

Taylor: A few years ago, I met one of the individuals whom I credit with inspiring my love for science while I was attending an international conference. At the time, I was conducting a research project on the historical experiences of women in astronomy to understand how I could expand opportunities for future women in astronomy and STEM. When I met this person, they questioned the relevance and value of my research on women in astronomy and insinuated that women already had enough opportunities in STEM. It was enormously difficult to reconcile their opinion and harsh words with the image I had of this person in my mind because they made me feel so unseen in the very space they had inspired me to enter. Their words shaped a new kind of inspiration in me, and I decided that this was an opportunity to clarify my purpose, speak with greater conviction, and reclaim the narrative that women and other minorities deserve to be seen and heard in science.

IEEE WIE: How do you stay updated with the latest trends and advancements in your field?

Taylor: I stay updated with the latest trends and advancements in my field by following pages (like WIE) on social media, networking with emerging scholars at conferences, and attending “brown bag lunch” events at my institution, where I can learn about what research is being conducted by my colleagues and peers.

IEEE WIE: What role do you think mentorship plays in the success of young professionals, and how do you approach mentoring others?

Taylor: Mentorship is one of the most impactful ways to encourage the success of emerging professionals. In my academic journey, mentorship has helped me validate my experiences as a woman in STEM and encouraged me to continue my work whenever my confidence wavered. Mentorship shows young professionals and students that success thrives at the intersection of disciplines, perspectives, and skill sets, and exposes individuals to collaborative problem-solving and multi-disciplinary communication. The relationships built through mentorship encourage students to develop crucial skills that they can take into any career in any industry.

When I approach mentoring others, I always try to help individuals build and shape their voice, rather than echoing the voices around them, including mine. Mentorship and teamwork are vital to shaping the success of young professionals, but authenticity is such an important part of communicating with others, publishing work, and driving innovation. I try to intentionally create space for reflection when I work with mentees so that they can bring their full, authentic perspectives to the table.