Karlene Hoo ’77

January 12, 2022

Three chemical engineering degrees (bachelor’s, master’s,
doctorate)
Former visiting scientist at NASA and Sandia National Laboratories
First female engineering dean at Gonzaga

BTHS major: college prep

First career: chemical engineer (Exxon, DuPont)

Second career: academic curriculum vitae of 23 pages, with more than 65 published peer-reviewed articles

Areas of expertise: dynamical system theory, artificial intelligence/ machine learning, supervisory and model-based control synthesis, and fault identification and monitoring.

Tech taught her: I entered college a disciplined learner. My roommate did not know how to compete or study. I had already learned that. Tech put me a year ahead of my college peers.

In other words... “I was interested in big data long before it became popular.”

The engineer as dean: “I use data to develop analytical trends and inform such matters as enrollment and funding projections.”

It started at Tech: “Engineering seemed to be the converging point of pure mathematics and pure science.”

Student athlete: Tech swimming and volleyball teams: “It disciplined me about studying.”

On women in engineering... “We are advancing in environmental, chemical, and biological, but not so much in mechanical and electrical.”

...And in engineering academia (where 65 out of 1,074 accredited engineering schools have female deans): “I don’t see myself as a trailblazer. But the people I hire will grow up under a different kind of dean.”