When Tahmir Murphy ’24 was awarded a Kente stole for her Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) work, Kelly Lierzer was there to support Tahmir. Ms. Lierzer had mentored Tahmir in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America program. 

Jen Solomon, the associate director of innovation in the Pearse Hub for Innovation (PHI), was at the stole ceremony last May, too. She met Ms. Lierzer, who later reached out to her. “She talked to me about how much she feels LC supported Tahmir while she was here,” Jen said, “and [she] wanted to continue to stay involved in some capacity.” 

Jen and Ms. Lierzer, an associate director of engineering at Pratt & Whitney, chatted over the summer and early fall, and Jen looped in Roland Davis, the interim DEI director; and Cedric Williams, the coordinator of the Pelican Support Network (PSN) and the Kravis Scholar program. 

“We all agreed an open talk to the community would be a great opportunity for all of us to benefit from Kelly’s willingness to come here, but also wanted to give underrepresented students a chance to meet with Kelly,” Jen said. 

All that came together when Ms. Lierzer came to campus on November 11 as a guest speaker and visiting engineer. Before the event she had dinner with students in the PSN program.  

Ms. Lierzer, who has worked at Pratt & Whitney since 2005, earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Brown University and a master’s in business administration from Albertus Magnus College.  

“The energy and excitement I experienced from all the students was great,” Ms. Lierzer said in an email after her visit to campus. “They asked a lot of good questions. My hope was to be able to satisfy some of their curiosity about how to become an engineer and what type of work an aerospace engineer may do. I also wanted them to walk away simply knowing there are many different types of engineers so they should explore what types might be most interesting to them.” 

Senior Saul Lawrence attended the event for a few reasons. 

“I am interested in physics and engineering, and the opportunity to hear someone’s path into and through that field felt important,” Saul said. “I was also interested in the applications of her work to our robotics team, as many of the processes and philosophies she talked about mirrored those we follow in the PHI.” 

He took a few things away from the evening. 

“Kelly talked a lot about the importance of teamwork and mentorship — she could not have gotten to where she is, a project engineer with almost two decades of experience, without the opportunities and support of her mentors,” Saul said. “From her grandmother to teachers and advisors, people throughout her life have encouraged her to pursue her interests and stay determined. At her work, projects and research would be impossible without relying on the input and expertise of others. She emphasized that in engineering, and STEM fields as a whole, the most important skills are teamwork and communication.” 

Ms. Lierzer said she has enjoyed the opportunity to mentor Tahmir, a freshman mechanical engineering and bioengineering major at Northeastern University in Boston. 

“I enjoy being that ‘big sister’ that can provide additional advice to add to their existing support system of family members, friends, teachers, counselors, etc., that all want them to succeed,” Ms. Lierzer said. “With Tahmir, I always tried to keep a good mix of outings that would expose her to places and topics that she wasn't normally exposed to, and I think that helped her explore additional possibilities for her future. I'm very proud of how great she is doing so far.” 

Tahmir met Ms. Lierzer when she was eight years old, and she said that Ms. Lierzer is a big reason she is majoring in engineering. “I liked the way she showed me there are so many different ways to solve problems,” Tahmir said, “and I never saw someone who looked like me — black and a woman — in engineering, so I thought it was something I could do, too.”