Pamela Fletcher
Q. What is your current job?
A. I am chief engineer for Hybrid & Electric Powertrain Engineering. My role is to lead the architecting, designing, development and integration of hybrid and electric propulsion systems into General Motors future vehicles. My current focus is on the imminent start of production of the Chevrolet Volt, the first-ever extended-range electric vehicle.
Q. What does your company do?
A. General Motors, one of the world’s largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 209,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in some 140 countries. GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 34 countries.
Q. What academic degrees do you hold?
A. Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, GMI Engineering & Management Institute (now known as Kettering University), Flint, MI. Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI. Executive Development Program, Northwestern University, Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Evanston, IL.
Q. What is the purpose of the Lee College Board of Advisors?
A. The board provides the Dean a forum to interact with local industry, and other interested industries to discuss the college’s future direction versus industry direction and needs.
Q. What changes have you seen in the college and UNC Charlotte?
The growth in programs and enrollment has been tremendous and will further enhance the college’s reputation.
Q. What is exciting at the college?
A. The expansion and renovation of the campus, including the new engineering buildings, with beautiful modern facilities lends to helping make UNC Charlotte and the Lee College of Engineering a school of choice.
Q. What do you see in the future for the college?
A. With the college’s great geographical location, beautiful campus, extensive programs including graduate studies and local attractions, the challenge will be to manage the academic interests of students and industry while handling enrollment growth and economic challenges. Not a bad position to be in.
Q. What are your thoughts about the football team?
A. Having a football team will provide an enhanced college experience for the students. I look forward to attending a few games myself.
Your Engineering Career
Q. Why did you become an engineer?
A. I was always good in math and science and chose engineering over medicine. I don’t like blood or seeing people in pain. Besides, I LOVE CARS. My love of cars is really what drove me into engineering.
Q. What skills have been important in your career?
A. Technical astuteness is the price of entry into an engineering career. Those who contribute the most also master the ability to work with others.
Q. What changes have you seen in the profession during your career?
A. The changes are tremendous. I’ll focus on the use of analysis and simulation tools. These tools have moved work upstream in the product development process. The amount of work accomplished ahead of building hardware has increased tremendously. Building hardware (cars) to test comes much later in the product development process. We use simulation at the component, sub-system and total system level.
Q. What is the most exciting project you ever worked on?
A. My current project is the most exciting. I can’t think of anything more “electrifying” than working on the Chevy Volt, the first ever electric vehicle with extended range. After 100 plus years of the internal combustion engine being the only choice for vehicle propulsion, to be creating new means for propulsion, offering customers choices to suit their needs and interests is very exciting.
Q. What is the best career advice anyone ever gave you?
A. Stay relevant and embrace change.
Q. What do you like best about your job?
A. There is no industry as exciting to me as the global automotive industry. Automobiles are the world’s greatest consumer product. Nothing compares in scale and scope to the projects I am privileged to work on.