Page 68 - World Airnews Magazine November 2020

NEWS DIGITAL

While Widnall called it “an incredible experience,” to lead the air regulations; they change the environment.”
force, with an (US) $84 billion budget, it was a time of international To Capt. Jay Pothula ’14, a former ROTC student at MIT, this
strife as well as domestic controversies and sexual harassment message was clear: He and all students have a role to play in
scandals, all of which were serious business. creating an atmosphere conducive to achievement. “Adhering
“Many pressures are brought on the secretary of the air force. to the core values is one way we can reduce the incidents of
The person has to make the tough calls and live with the key harassment and assault,” said Pothula, now in F-15 pilot training at
decisions,” said a successor to Widnall, 23rd air force secretary Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina.
Deborah Lee James. Widnall also had a unique approach to testing students,
When she announced she would return to MIT in 1997, Widnall’s according to Pothula, who took her aerodynamics class.
legacy at the Air Force was writ large and small. On the larger side “Most of the quizzes and learning moments took place in
is a programme to develop the expendable launch vehicle used knowledge tests,” he said. “You would go into a room with her and
for Atlas 5 and Delta 4 rockets, which began under her direction. the teaching assistant and you would be given a problem and you
“These vehicles still provide the majority of the launch capability would try to solve it in front of them.”
for National Security launches,” she said, adding, “There has never At first, Pothula found the method intimidating but before long
been a launch failure.” his thoughts were flying. “These were great experiences because
Less obvious, but equally important, was her contribution to she would always know the right thing to say to push you ever
defining the character of the air force. The branch had no stated so slightly in the right direction. She would always get you there.
core values when Widnall arrived, so she elevated those of the Air There was a dual purpose, testing your knowledge but you would
Force Academy - “Integrity first. Service before self. Excellence in learn a lot in the experience.”
all we do.” - to define all 400,000 airmen and women. Widnall did not reserve that kind of thought-prodding for
“If you ask any airmen, ‘What are our values?’ my guess is 99 students only. Olivier de Weck, professor of aeronautics and
percent would be able to tell you,” said Heather Wilson, who astronautics and of engineering systems, joined the faculty of MIT
became the 24th Air Force secretary two decades after Widnall in 2001, occupying an office across the hall from Widnall, who he
broke the glass ceiling. describes as a friend, colleague, and mentor.
“The best values are those when a leader says, ‘This is who we He hadn’t been in the job long when Widnall was asked to serve
are.’” on the board looking into the loss of the space shuttle Columbia,
which came apart on its return to Earth in February 2003, killing
BACK TO THE TECH seven astronauts.
Widnall’s return to campus was a thrilling development for MIT’s Over the course of seven months, Widnall and her fellow
ROTC students because she volunteered to be their academic investigators examined the physical chain of events as well as
advisor. the systemic pressures that played a role. De Weck watched in
“It was awesome,” said 1st Lt. John Graham, now an F-16 pilot. fascination as his colleague participated in writing one of the
Graham found his highly accomplished advisor down-to-Earth, best-ever analyses of an accident.
fun-loving, and - most important- a talented instructor. “She is able to look under the covers,” he said describing Windall
“What she taught me I wouldn’t have learned in a different astro as having “an uncanny ability to peel away layers of complexity and
-dynamics class,” Graham said. “She could simplify the complex.” get to the core reason about why things are and why they happen.”
Meanwhile, Widnall’s service continued on the national level. It was de Weck’s habit to stop by Widnall’s office most mornings
Most recently she served as co-chair of a 2018 report by the for a quick conversation or to catch up on MIT news. On occasion,
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that though, de Weck would seek her advice. Widnall would steer the
examined the costs and consequences of sexual harassment search for a solution right back to him, de Weck says, using her
in these fields. It was another example of Widnall applying her decades of experience to provide relevant context.
experience and intellectual energy to improve the environment for “She never tells you what to do, just how to look at the question
female students. from a holistic perspective,” de Weck said. “After leaving Sheila’s
Among other things, the book-length report analyzes the office, I felt I had a different way to think about the problem.”
effectiveness of harassment awareness training programmes and When Widnall naively stepped onto the campus of MIT in 1956,
finds them wanting. The report concludes changing behaviour is she began a journey that would help her live up to the expecta-
key, and efforts should be regularly assessed. tions of those who saw her potential in her youth and pushed her
“Schools have to create a climate that supports proper to do more. Q
behaviour,” Widnall said. “They don’t do it by passing rules and Article courtesy: https://scitechdaily.com/

World Airnews | November Extra 2020
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