“Silicon Valley has a reputation for being cavalier in the way they deploy things — it’s, ‘Go be disruptive, go change the world, and ask questions later,’ ” Dawson says. “I railed against that from the sidelines, and as self-driving technology was hitting the roads I felt a moral responsibility to get involved.”
Dawson’s awareness of the ethical side of tech development began at Bucknell, where considering the societal implications of her work was intrinsic to every course in her mechanical engineering major. Today, she’s also taking on another of the tech industry’s moral gremlins — the uphill battle faced by women in male-dominated Silicon Valley. When she speaks with engineering students, Dawson doesn’t just aim to give women a toolkit for survival. She also emphasizes the role male allies can play in helping women stick with the industry.
“In nearly 20 years of professional engineering, I’ve never had a male colleague ask what life is like for us and what he can do to help make it a little bit easier,” she says. “My advice is to be open to those conversations, ask questions and be empathetic.”