Anna Haydock graduated from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology with a bachelor’s degree in Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Engineering. Currently, Anna is finishing her master’s degree in Engineering Management. She has worked as a metallurgical engineer in copper mining, aerospace, aluminum manufacturing, failure analysis, and nuclear reclamation. Her history of work experience includes Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc., Emerson, Alcoa, Arconic, and Ball Aerospace.Anna currently is in the automotive industry at Volvo Cars USA, in the quality department. Her strengths across all industries are root cause analysis, Six Sigma, failure analysis, FMEA, and continuous improvement.

Anna’s most significant accomplishment was in the aluminum manufacturing industry. She ran an oven heat treat trial, investigating the upper and lower temperature limits that were currently set for different gauges. Transition strip lengths were also studied to see if shorter strips could be used to reduce the time needed to transition to a new gauge. After confirming the required metallurgical properties were not compromised for different gauges, the heat treat trial resulted in saving roughly $3.5 million/year.

Anna is a lean Six Sigma Black Belt (currently completing her Master Black Belt) and, from 2016 to 2017, served as the National Membership Chair for the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). She plans to continue her Ph.D. in Education with a STEM emphasis in hopes of teaching and retaining future women and BIPOC in the metallurgical and heat treat industry.

Nominated by: Volvo Cars USA