Women in Tribology Panel

Tuesday, May 21, 2024
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm

This free-to-attend panel, open to all STLE Annual Meeting registrants, will focus on notable women in the tribology industry sharing their insights about their career paths and experiences. There will be opening speakers along with interactive discussion with panelists. STLE invites attendees to join and share your questions, thoughts and experiences on bringing more women into the industry and helping advance their careers. If you have questions or comments you'd like to submit before the event, please email community@stle.org.

Moderator:
Elaine Hepley, CLS, OMA, CEO of Solana Consulting Services LLC
 


Elaine Hepley, CEO of Solana Consulting Services LLC, has 15 years of industry experience with an emphasis on varnish analysis and testing techniques. Her passion is helping customers save money on equipment downtime and finding solutions to their problems, particularly when it comes to varnish analysis. Over the years she has helped develop new testing techniques to help identify the type of varnish formation and the stage of varnish formation. Hepley is the current chair of the Oil Monitoring Analyst™ (OMA) Committee, paper solicitation chair for the STLE Wind Power Turbine Technical Committee, has recently been appointed chair of the new STLE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee and is on the STLE Board of Directors. She also is a member of the STLE Lower Ohio River Valley Section.
 
 
 






Panelists:
Jennifer Altstadt, President & CEO, Sea-Land Chemical Company
 

Jennifer Altstadt is a dynamic professional with a solid educational foundation and extensive experience in both engineering and business. She earned her bachelor of science degree in industrial engineering from Purdue University, then furthering her expertise with a master of science degree from Cleveland State University and an executive master of business administration degree from Case Western University. Altstadt’s career has equipped her with a versatile skillset, allowing her to strategically navigate intricate environments. Currently she serves as the president and CEO of Sea-Land Chemical Company, which she joined in 2015. In this role, she is deeply committed to cultivating both businesses and individuals, driving excellence within the organization. Beyond her role at Sea-Land, Altstadt actively contributes to Haviland Enterprise, Inc. as a board member. She serves as chairperson for the Weatherhead School of Management’s Visiting Committee. Her dedication extends to various civic initiatives, including Collaborate Cleveland and Cleveland Food Bank, where she volunteers alongside her husband, Mark, to make positive contributions to the community. Embracing a health-conscious and active approach to life, she leads a book club and engages in activities that promote personal and professional growth.
 
 
 




Dr.-Ing. Mirjam Bäse, Senior Engineer for Tribology & Oil/Global Functional Product Engineering Lead BB Oil, Magna Powertrain GmbH
 

Dr.-Ing. Mirjam Bäse is a senior engineer for Tribology & Oil at Magna Powertrain GmbH & Co KG in Lannach, Austria, leading the company´s global product engineering oil team. She is also Global Functional Product Engineering Lead BB Oil. She began her career in the automotive industry over 20 years ago with an apprenticeship as a mechanic and earned bachelor of engineering and master of science degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal, Germany. Her fascination for tribology began during her studies through working in the tribology lab, leading to a doctorate in mechanical engineering and tribology at the Otto-von-Guericke University in Magdeburg and postgraduate studies in analytics and spectroscopy at University Leipzig. Previously, she was a deputy professor for Machine Elements & Tribology and then transitioned to Magna to specialize in building expertise and solving specific issues in applied tribology in powertrain systems, with a focus on oils and wet clutches used as system components in conventional and electric vehicles. She also builds up and leads the global oil team. Actively engaged in the German Society for Tribology since 2012, she contributes to various voluntary activities, including establishing the young tribology network as working group lead and currently serves as head of the public relations working group and a director’s board member.
 
 
 


Dr. Qian (Beth) Zou, FSTLE, Associate Dean & Professor/Co-Director of the Automotive Tribology Center, School of Engineering and Computer Science, Oakland University
 

Dr. Qian Zou obtained her bachelor of science, master of science and doctorate degrees from Tsinghua University (China) in 1992, 1994 and 2001, respectively, and joined Oakland University in 2002. She is currently the associate dean and professor of the School of Engineering and Computer Science and also the co-director of the Automotive Tribology Center. Her research areas include nanofluids, automotive tribology, wear and scuffing modeling and testing, lubrication theory, contact mechanics analysis, etc. Zou has published more than 100 papers in various peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. She is a Fellow of STLE and SAE and actively serves in the professional societies.