Join us for a STEM TALK with Dr. Virginia Counts, a Sr. Program Manager for Medtronic.

Time & Date: March 11, 2021 at 3:00pm CT

Dr. Virginia Counts Bio
Alchemist  •  Strategist  •  Coach  •  Program Manager  •  Process Improvement Expert  •  STEM Advocate

I get joy out of organizing and creating strategies from ether, transforming chaos into order, and synthesizing disparate information.

These days, I am a Sr. Program Manager for Medtronic, where I manage teams across Operations groups manufacturing pacemakers, defibrillators, and associated leads. I work on the large, cross functional, super-visible, hairy projects that most others shy away from. My early career provided challenging work as a Project Engineer building and testing gas turbine engines in the Aerospace industry. I then spent a decade in process improvement; certified as a Lean Manufacturing Expert, and Six Sigma Master Blackbelt, helping teams improve processes and provide significant savings.

Passionate about getting more women in engineering, I am a Fellow of the Society of Women Engineers and spent a decade on the SWE Board of Directors culminating with the role of President in 2009. Recognized as one of the most “48 Intriguing Women of Arizona” in a book celebrating Arizona’s 100th anniversary as a state.  Based on MDT’s Tempe Campus, I live in Phoenix and enjoy hiking nearby with my slightly neurotic but energetic miniature schnauzer, Princess Sophia.

Education

• BSE, Mechanical Engineering, Arizona State University
• MSE, Industrial Engineering, Arizona State University
• PhD, Sustainable Engineering, Arizona State University