Women Engineers of Grace: Leading with Purpose
Recognizing the talent, leadership, and global impact of our women engineers
Here at Grace, our engineers use science to solve real-world challenges that make modern life possible. Think of lifesaving vaccines and medicines, lighter-weight plastics like the reusable shopping bag you bring to the store, and renewable fuels and refining processes that use fewer resources.
Read the stories and advice from a few of our women engineers who help set Grace apart, inspiring R&D breakthroughs, and who dare to imagine beyond today’s limits.
Angelle Forrest Barnes, PE
Senior Project Manager, Baton Rouge, LA
Angelle’s 16-year career in engineering started with a passion for math and science and was nurtured by her mother’s encouragement at an early age.
She now sees her role as a way to break barriers and inspire others, especially young women. “It means that I bring a different perspective and collaboration to my group and my company,” she says. Her favorite quote reflects the need to persist as engineering constantly evolves and sometimes challenges: “It may not be easy, but I’ll figure it out.”
Ariana M. Cruz
Process Technology Engineer, Curtis Bay, MD
Ariana’s engineering journey began in a New York City high school robotics class and later evolved during graduate school after being inspired by a professor. She enjoys the variety in her current role—from teaching engineers in the field to analyzing data and brainstorming lab experiments.
Ariana emphasizes the importance of soft skills like listening and communication. Her advice: “Don’t be afraid to ask questions or share your ideas. Don’t hide who you are—you are unique and bring something to the table.”
Britain Saunier
Production Engineer, Norco, LA
As an engineer of 4 years, Britain loves having the opportunity to solve real problems and make an impact at the plant. Every day presents a new challenge—whether it’s optimizing a process or improving safety.
She believes being a woman in engineering means contributing meaningfully and helping to create spaces where all voices are valued. Her lifelong curiosity and love for science and math led her to her career in chemical engineering, and her favorite piece of advice is that “You don’t have to know everything, you just need to be willing to learn.”
Chelsea Grimes
Global Strategic Marketing Manager, Columbia, MD
After first working as an R&D Engineer at Grace for 4 years, Chelsea now applies her engineering expertise to her role as Global Strategic Marketing Manager for our Materials Technologies business line.
She believes engineering teaches you skills that can be valuable in any role, technical or non-technical, as engineers are trained to take complex problems and systematically break them down to find a resolution.
Inspired by her father, who is also an engineer, she sees engineering as a versatile and valuable foundation in the workplace. Her favorite quote from the movie Legally Blonde—“So what? Like it’s hard?”—reminds her that perseverance and courage can overcome any challenge.
Pat Myers
Lead Process Control Engineer, Curtis Bay, MD
For over 6 years, Pat has worked as a Process Control Engineer at Grace’s Curtis Bay, MD site and now serves as lead, supporting the distributed control system (DCS) for the site’s fluid catalytic cracking facility. Pat’s job is to ensure the computer programs continually monitor plant machinery to make product on spec and issue alarms in case of temperature, pressure, or other issues.
Her path to engineering began with a passion for math, science and a high school engineering program called Minority Introduction to Engineering (MITE). Pat enjoys inspiring young women and children to pursue a career in engineering through community outreach. She also encourages everyone to stay true to themselves by speaking up when no one else will and to build relationships with others.
Robin Turner
Operations Manager, Pasadena, TX
For 35 years, Robin has enjoyed working as an engineer to solve complex operational and reliability challenges and enjoys working in the fast-paced environment of a chemical plant.
Inspired by her older brother, a chemical engineer and PhD nuclear engineer, Robin was encouraged to pursue a technical path early on.
Her advice is simple but powerful: “It never hurts to ask!” She believes success in engineering comes from taking initiative, being flexible, and building strong relationships.
Sofia Holmberg
Development Engineer, Stenungsund, Sweden
For 11 years, Sofia has worked in multiple, different engineering roles, including Process Engineer, Process Safety Engineer, and now Development Engineer.
She loves the variety and continuous learning her job offers and credits her supportive family and inspiring women colleagues for her growth. Just as her colleagues have done for her at Stenungsund, Sofia also hopes to someday help guide and inspire other young engineers in the field.
Her favorite quote from the children’s book series Pippi Longstocking is reflective of her fearless approach to tackling challenges and obstacles: “I never tried that before, so I should definitely be able to do it.”
Ute Nientiedt
Manager, Energy Supply and Central Plants, Worms, Germany
For over 27 years, Ute has taken on roles in production, process development, validation, controlling, and now energy supply. She enjoys taking on the variety of tasks that come with her work, often stepping into the field to understand challenges firsthand.
Ute believes women in engineering often hold themselves to high standards, and she encourages young women to pursue a career in engineering. A former boss once described her as a “catalyst”—someone who accelerates processes without burning out. She feels that it is the perfect word to describe the job of an engineer.