{"id":2981,"date":"2019-10-03T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-10-03T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/developmenttwo.marymount.edu\/blog\/washington-business-journal-women-who-mean-business-irma-becerra\/"},"modified":"2019-10-03T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-10-03T00:00:00","slug":"washington-business-journal-women-who-mean-business-irma-becerra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/blog\/washington-business-journal-women-who-mean-business-irma-becerra\/","title":{"rendered":"Washington Business Journal: Women Who Mean Business: Irma Becerra<\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"

Irma Becerra\u00a0credits her grandmother with her decision to pursue a career in academia. When Becerra was 8 months old, her family fled Cuba and moved to Puerto Rico. As a child, Becerra would spend summers with her grandmother in Miami who would repeatedly tell her, \u0093Remember, whatever happens, no one can ever take away your education.\u0094<\/p>\n

That life lesson still resonates. \u0093You may be stripped of all your assets, but your education will stay with you,\u0094 she says.<\/p>\n

Becerra was the first woman to earn a doctorate in electrical engineering from Florida International University. \u0093I was often the only woman in my class,\u0094 she says. \u0093I could have been intimidated but it taught me to always be prepared and to prepare better than my colleagues.\u0094<\/p>\n

She tells Marymount students about her first day in the electronics lab. Becerra had only seen photographs of electrical components in a book. \u0093They looked completely different in the lab,\u0094 she says. \u0093The first time I tried to connect them, I burned the transformer.\u0094 Her lab partners, who were all men, told her they wouldn\u0092t let her touch anything the rest of the semester because they didn\u0092t want her to bring down their group grade.<\/p>\n

Becerra didn\u0092t allow their opinion of her to get in the way of her education. When she graduated, she even offered to teach the electronics lab to other students. \u0093I tell my students this story because it\u0092s important they know we all face failures and we need to have persistence and grit to keep going,\u0094 she says.<\/p>\n

Fast-forward through many teaching and academic jobs, and it\u0092s now been a year since Becerra was installed as president of Marymount, its first woman president of color. Under her leadership, the university purchased The Rixey, an apartment building next to the Ballston campus, allowing for more student housing options. She also spearheaded a five-year strategic plan in March aimed at doubling the school\u0092s enrollment and gaining national recognition. Less sexy, but more relevant to the daily lives of the university community members is her new, integrated system to better manage administrative functions such as timecards, class schedules and more for Marymount\u0092s 650 full- and part-time faculty and staff and its 4,000 students.<\/p>\n

Given her background in engineering and business processes, Becerra thinks she may be more amenable than past presidents to take on challenges related to tech and innovation. \u0093For years, I advised NASA on how to become a knowledge-sharing organization and to eliminate silos,\u0094 Becerra says.<\/p>\n

At Marymount, where the fiscal 2020 budget stands at nearly $90 million, she plans to focus on how the university is organized and how it can become more innovative and agile. \u0093I\u0092m drawn to preparing students for careers and lives of purpose,\u0094 she says.<\/p>\n

Q&A<\/h3>\n

First job:\u00a0<\/strong>When I finished college, I was hired as an engineer for Florida Power & Light. At 23 years, I was placed in charge of supporting and enhancing the computer program that monitors the reliability of the power grid.<\/p>\n

Lesson learned in that job:<\/strong>\u00a0I missed interacting with people. For that, I volunteered to occasionally teach statistical quality control for the company. That\u0092s how I discovered my passion for teaching.<\/p>\n

What you wish you knew from the start:<\/strong>\u00a0Find mentors who may or may not look like you, and seek their advice. And don\u0092t be the best-kept secret. Advocate for yourself and actively take the risk of pursuing opportunities that you are interested in.<\/p>\n

What you\u0092d tell your younger self:<\/strong>\u00a0It is possible to pursue your career passion and also have a successful family life. Don\u0092t worry about the feasibility of having both.<\/p>\n

Businesswoman you admire:<\/strong>\u00a0Ever since I read about the history of Marymount, I became inspired by Sister\u00a0Majella Berg, who successfully ran Marymount for 33 years. Sister Majella transformed Marymount from a two-year women\u0092s college into a comprehensive coeducational university, offering bachelor\u0092s and master\u0092s degrees. She was also a pioneer president. In 1986, in the middle of her Marymount tenure, just 9.5% of university presidents were women. In 2016, that number was 30%.<\/p>\n

What you\u0092d do if not this:\u00a0<\/strong>I would love to work in a global management consulting, private equity or venture capital firm.<\/p>\n

Irma Becerra<\/h3>\n