Jill Tietjen facts for kids

Jill S. Tietjen (born 1954) is an American electrical engineer, a person who designs and works with electricity. She is also a consultant, an author, and a speaker. Jill is known for helping women and girls get involved in STEM fields. These fields include science, technology, engineering, and math.

She leads a company called Technically Speaking, Inc. This company helps electric power companies. Jill has written many books and papers. She also helps create scholarships for women studying engineering. In 2010, she was honored in the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame. In 2019, she joined the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame.

Early Life and School

Jill S. Tietjen was born Karen Jill Stein in Newport News, Virginia, in 1954. She was the oldest of four children. Her father was an engineer who worked at NASA.

Jill went to Hampton High School. In 1972, she joined the third group of women allowed to study at the University of Virginia. She finished her studies in 1976. She earned a degree in applied mathematics and a minor in electrical engineering. She was one of the first 10 women to graduate in engineering from that university.

After college, she started working at Duke Power Company. This was in Charlotte, North Carolina. While working, she also earned her MBA degree. She got this degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1979.

Her Career Journey

Jill worked as a planning engineer at Duke Power for five years. In 1981, she moved to Denver, Colorado. There, she became a planning analyst for Mobil Oil Corporation. She worked in their mining and coal division.

In 1984, Jill started working as a consultant for electric companies. She worked for Stone & Webster Management Consultants in Greenwood Village. She stayed there until 1992. Later, she managed utility planning for RCG/Hagler Bailly in Boulder. From 1995 to 1997, she returned to Stone & Webster. She even gave expert advice to government groups about electric companies.

From 1997 to 2000, Jill focused on helping women in education. She directed the Women in Engineering Program at the University of Colorado Boulder. She also helped check and approve engineering programs across the country. This included programs for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

In 2000, she started her own company, Technically Speaking, Inc. This company offers advice to electric power companies.

Helping Women in STEM

Jill Tietjen strongly believes that more women and girls should join STEM fields. She helps guide young women who are thinking about careers in engineering and technology. She has also set up scholarships for women studying technology. These scholarships are at universities like the University of Virginia and the University of Colorado Boulder.

Jill also works to make sure women get recognized for their achievements. She often suggests women for awards and halls of fame in engineering and technology. One of her first nominations was for Grace Hopper. Grace Hopper was a computer scientist who created an early computer tool in 1952. In 1991, Grace Hopper received a special award called the National Medal of Technology. Jill accepted this award for her from President George H. W. Bush at the White House Rose Garden. Jill has nominated more than 30 women who have been inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.

Writing and Speaking

Jill Tietjen is an editor for a book series called Women in Engineering and Science. She also wrote the first book in this series. From 2014 to 2018, she wrote articles for The Huffington Post. Her articles were about the historical achievements of women.

Jill learned public speaking skills at her first job at Duke Power Company. She gave presentations about nuclear power. Later, she used these skills to give expert advice to government groups. She is also a motivational speaker. She talks about women in engineering, women in science history, and leadership.

Groups and Memberships

Jill Tietjen was elected to the national board of the Society of Women Engineers in 1988. She served as its national president from 1991 to 1992. She was also the first woman on the board of directors for the Rocky Mountain Electrical League. She was also that group's first woman president.

She was the board chair for the Girl Scouts – Mile Hi Council from 1999 to 2007. She also joined the board of the National Women's Hall of Fame from 2009 to 2014. In 2015, she became the CEO of the National Women's Hall of Fame.

Jill is also a director for the Georgia Transmission Corporation. Since 2008, she has been a trustee for the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Awards and Honors

Jill Tietjen has been listed in important books like Who's Who in Engineering and Who's Who in Science and Engineering. She was inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2019, she joined the Colorado Authors' Hall of Fame. In 2022, she was also chosen for the National Academy of Construction.

Personal Life

In 1976, Jill married her first husband, who was also an engineering student. She became known as Jill S. Baylor. They divorced in 1994. She was married to David Tietjen from 1996 to 2024. She lives in Centennial, Colorado.