Uma Chowdhry Uma's primary career interest lies in the management of technology in a way that creates significant value for a business. Uma's career path at DuPont has allowed her to gain the experiences to be able to indulge her primary interest. Born and raised in Mumbai, India, Uma's early career goal was to be a high-energy physicist. She worked hard to get the grades in Physics and Math to be able to get a scholarship to go to graduate school at Caltech. She gravitated towards the physics of solids while at Caltech and graduated with an MS in Engineering Science in 1970. After working for a year at Ford Motor Company's research lab, she went on to MIT and graduated with a PhD in Materials Science (with a focus on ceramic materials) in 1976. DuPont's Central Research labs' worldwide reputation for excellence in science attracted both Uma and her husband to Wilmington in 1977. Uma began work in the Physical Sciences group on programs ranging from battery materials to heterogeneous catalysts and she was promoted to Research Supervisor in 1982 to lead a group working on catalysts/surface science. In 1984 when DuPont decided to diversify into Electronics, Uma was asked to build a ceramics group and to lead an interdepartmental corporate program on ceramic materials for electronic applications. In 1987 when the breakthrough of new "high temperature superconductors" was announced by IBM scientists, Uma was asked to lead a group to develop new ceramic superconducting materials. The group quickly became visible on the world map through its patents and publications at a very exciting time in the evolution of new materials. Uma was transferred in 1988 to the Electronics Department as Lab Director of their R&D group working on new electronic packaging materials, and in 1990 Uma became Business Manager of the North American Microcircuit Materials business. She led an effort to define best practices in manufacturing of thick film pastes in 1991 and was transferred to Jackson Lab in 1992 as Lab Director. In 1993 Uma became R&D Director for the Specialty Chemicals SBU and in 1995 was appointed Business Director of the Terathane* business. Having gained a solid business experience, Uma returned to Specialty Chemicals in late 1997 as Business Planning and Technology Director. A year later, in January 1999, Uma accepted a position in DuPont's Engineering function as Director of Technology. For her contributions to the science of ceramics, Uma was elected "Fellow" of the American Ceramic Society in 1989 and for work ranging from catalysts to superconductors, she was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1996. Uma serves on advisory boards of Engineering schools at Princeton and the University of Delaware as well as on the program advisory board and election subcommittee for the National Academy of Engineering. She represents DuPont at meetings of the Industrial Research Institute and at various forums on diversity aimed at attracting women to Engineering. Besides her work, Uma enjoys collecting pottery, and supporting upcoming local as well as Indian artists. She and her husband love to travel the globe sampling the wines and cuisines of the world. They live in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.