OSU's involvement with Women in STEM and Patricia Vega's Experiences throughout her STEM Career

Come join us on October 21st, 2021 at 3:15 and listen to Ms. Katy Strait and Ms. Patricia Vega! Ms. Strait will be speaking about the College of Engineering, Architecture (CEAT) and Technology at Oklahoma State University (OSU) and about empowering women in STEM. Ms. Vega will be hosting a Q & A session about her experiences at OSU and throughout her career.

Ms. Strait is the Texas Recruitment Specialist for the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology (CEAT) at Oklahoma State University. The College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology is a community of scholars, innovators and leaders who are changing the world. The preparation of professionals that anticipate the needs of a changing world is at the nexus of society, economy, ethics, sustainability and humanity. The college is committed to training leaders and professionals who innovate, design and build a resilient and sustainable local, regional and world economy.

Patricia is an Energy Transition and Sustainability Leader. She is the founder and CEO of Quantum New Energy (QNE), a ClimateTech Company based in Houston, Texas, providing a Data-AI-driven Carbon Reduction platform. QNE helps companies and individuals deliver decarbonization pledges, streamline reporting, and align benefits with ESG goals, by harnessing their underutilized data.

Ms. Vega is also an Energy and Digital Innovation Leader with 25 years of progressive experience developing and executing strategies that maximize business value while balancing regulation, governance, fiduciary responsibility, and overall risk. Her global and multi-disciplinary experience spans from Fortune 100 companies to start-ups, which affords Patricia the holistic market knowledge and strong business acumen required to perform with the highest operational, ethical standards while being nimble and agile.

Prior to her entrepreneurial venture with QNE, she worked for GE serving as Global President of the Evaluation & Optimization business, President of GE Oil & Gas Latin American and member of GE’s Regional Board of Directors. Before joining GE, Patricia led the Digital Asset strategy for Reservoir Production Solutions in Halliburton and had a progressive career from divisional project manager to corporate director with Baker Hughes. Patricia started her career as a field operation engineer with BP and Schlumberger.

She attributes her ability to deliver consistent results to a natural focus to understand emerging trends and customer challenges to translate them into growth opportunities. Having balanced a global cross-disciplinary professional path, with being part of a dual-career, Patricia is highly adaptable and comfortable with being uncomfortable. These skills make her a natural leader for transformation and growth programs that energize teams, drive an enthusiastic customer focused constructive culture, and high performance. As a lifelong learner and servant leader, she leads transparently and collaboratively with uncompromised respect for human values, and business ethics, fostering diverse and inclusive work environments conducive to maximized team contribution and business results.

Patricia’s education includes a certificate in Energy Innovation & Emergent Technology from Stanford University, a M.B.A. from Thunderbird School of Global Management, a M.S. in Technology and Engineering Management from Oklahoma State University and a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from Universidad Industrial de Santander in Colombia. She served as member of GE’s Diversity Council, chair of the Health Program for GE O&G, and executive sponsor for the Women’s Network for GE`s Technology Center. She also received the Baker Hughes Chairman’s award for founding the Women’s Energy Network. Her professional affiliations include the Society of Women Engineers, Society of Petroleum Engineers, and Women in Technology International. She currently serves as an advisory board member for the Women’s Energy Network.