In loving tribute to the late Kathleen Eisbrenner, Doyenne Initiative invited her husband Ray to be a Champion in her memory. Kathleen was a trailblazer in the energy industry whose legacy inspires our own mission. 

"Every part of who I am connects to this initiative. I'm Muslim. I'm an American. I'm African. I'm a husband of eleven years. I'm a father of four shining stars - two girls and two boys. Doyenne Initiative is a no-brainer." 

"As a mother of a spirited young girl, I'm passionate that all women have opportunity for education and fulfilling their dreams. I'm especially proud that the Inaugural Class of Doyennes will be starting in the engineering program at my alma mater, University of Maryland. Go Terps!" 

"Having spent 32 years in the energy industry working for a progressive company like BP, I saw firsthand how hard it was for women to compete on an equal footing for senior and executive roles in developed countries. So I can only imagine how much harder that would be for women in developing countries around the world." 

"Having lived in the US, I know how fortunate I am to have had the education and limitless opportunities that I have had and see the same for my daughter.  The women in Mozambique and other developing countries are not as fortunate, as only 1% who enroll in primary school continue on to college." 

"I am my sister's keeper

To make her laugh when times get tough

To instill confidence, to know she is enough

I am my sister's keeper

And I hope the same goes both ways

Because I'll need her to comfort the

next sister some day

Am I my sister's keeper

Yes I am"

"I'm very excited about the mentorship aspects of the Doyenne Initiative. Having had the opportunity to interface with and learn from other women in technology, especially those in senior leadership positions,  has been a positive influence on my journey. I've seen firsthand the role of women in tech grow significantly throughout my career journey and I want to pay it forward for the deserving women in this program."

"As a Doyenne champion, I want to help provide an opportunity for other women  to have a successful career in engineering and to have meaningful, challenging and stable career opportunities that engineering affords."

"I support the Doyenne Initiative because I believe a woman's access to higher education creates opportunities for enduring change that eliminates borders and boundaries. When a woman is in a position to grow and lead she will turn around and pull us all along with her."

"Women in developing countries have challenges finding mentors who are highly educated and can provide roadmaps to success that will help them grow into the brighter leaders of tomorrow. That's what the Doyenne Initiative is all about."

"I think the Doyenne Initiative hit the nail on the head - impacting change by developing future leaders by means of selecting high potential female engineers to participate in the Reliability Engineering Master's program of the University of Maryland in the U.S. The focus on female skills development is essential."

"The Doyenne Initiative is committed to the future of reliability engineering by investing in the most critical asset that any reliability program has - its people."

​

"Being a mother of two young girls, a daughter of a UMD alum, and someone who had the opportunity to graduate from an incredible program at the University of Maryland myself, I'm thrilled to be a part of this initiative."