Inspire, Fall/Winter 2010

for seeing the big picture and identifying the next steps to take in a project. “Often the challenges associated with engineering are not the technical problem-solving variety,” Debbie said. “More often, they’re the same ones facing every other profession, like communication and working with a diverse group of people.” That doesn’t mean it’s always easy. So, to help herself maintain a good attitude, Debbie posted a quote in her office: “Every issue … is an amazing opportunity for a positive experience — for the customer, for the technicians, and for me.” Debbie knows that she can often offer a different perspective when it comes to the dilemmas engineers face, even simply in the different ways men and women use products and approach design problems. It Takes a Believer As a high school student, Debbie remembers feeling a responsibility to care for the earth. “I’ve always felt God has placed us here as stewards,” she said. “And being good stewards does not involve destroying His planet. It’s not enough to be cognizant of our natural resources; we need to find ways to prevent waste, to protect trees and wildlife for future generations.” Every day, she finds unexpected blessings in her work, and she knows she’s part of something with long-lasting rewards. Discovering ways to use clean energy and fuels means we will be able to breathe cleaner air with fewer toxins as we become less dependent on imported oil. In the future, Debbie would like to turn her attention to solar energy. Recently earning a master’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, she hopes to take on new leadership roles in the field. She concluded, “I enjoy working in an area that allows me to have a broader influence for positive change, even though my individual role is a small one right now. Part of working on green projects is that even at the end of a really rough day, I can still look at what I do and feel good about it.” Debbie Pittman ’99 is a wind product reliability engineer with GE and resides in Schenectady, New York. You may contact her at deb_pittman@yahoo.com. Sharyn Kopf is a freelance writer in Jamestown, Ohio. She has previously worked as newspaper reporter and spent more than seven years as an award-winning radio writer for Focus on the Family. You may contact her at shari2t17@gmail.com . Cedarville University 15