Equipping the Next Generation of Standards Leaders: A Conversation with Carrie Schmaus, US Department of Energy, and Grace Callahan, UL Standards & Engagement

Word to the W.I.S.E. #whystandardsmatter

You can read the full transcript of that podcast interview with Carrie and Grace here:

Host: Carrie and Grace, thank you so much for joining us in this Word to the W.I.S.E. Conversation.

[00:01:05] Carrie Schmaus: Great to be here.

[00:01:06] Grace Callahan: Yes, agreed.

[00:01:09] Host: Carrie, what is your role in the YEP program and how and why did you decide to get involved?

[00:01:17] Carrie Schmaus: So, my role in the Young and Emerging Professionals or YEP program is what we call it. I am the chair and I've been the chair for about three years now. And so, I really got interested in this work after I attended the IEC Young Professional Program or the YP program. So, we have YEP and YP, YEP is the US committee and YP is the international program, which I think Grace will talk about here pretty shortly. And after attending that program, which was in 2018, I left really excited about standards and conformity assessment, and particularly the role of young professionals kind of in that whole world. And so, as the program went on, I was elected a YP leader, which is a position that allows for three folks to get elected. And so those folks are able to work on a project of their choice for the rest of the year. And I used my year to focus on expanding support for the Young and Emerging Professionals program in the US, and because I was interested in that, I, of course joined the Yep. Committee and then was shortly thereafter elected Chair. And our work these past three years has really been focused on starting up, a US National YEP program. So, kind of a mirror program of what happens at the international level but focused on US Young and Emerging Professionals. And with this, we're really trying to build a community of these leaders in the United States. And it's been really rewarding for me to spend the last three years on this work.

[00:02:51] Host: And Grace, congratulations for being selected this year for the IEC's Young Professionals Program. What has been your experience with the workshop you just attended and the interactions you had so far?

[00:03:02] Grace Callahan: So, I was selected by the US National Committee of the IEC to represent the US in the Young Professionals Program. It was such an amazing opportunity to be able to participate in a week-long program where the young professionals were able to learn more about standardization and conformity assessment, as well as observe IEC technical and management meetings and attend sessions on topics related to standards, including digitizing standards and using them, to improve energy efficiency and achieve the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. So, one of my favorite parts was actually just getting to meet the 85 other young professionals from 46 different countries that use standards in their jobs.

[00:03:48] Host: That's so interesting. And how has both your involvement with the IEC and the U.S. National Committee influenced your career and line of work and your understanding of standards?

[00:04:00] Carrie Schmaus: So, for me, my involvement in the IEC and USNC has really influenced my career, mostly in the sense that I've been able to refine skills that have been really helpful in my day job at the Department of Energy. And so, things like, you know, now I have experience building and implementing a program with the US National YEP Program. , I've planned and participated on panels, so lots of public speaking opportunities. And of course, I chair a committee, so I have some leadership experience, and this has really helped me in all aspects of my career. But I've also experienced a pretty interesting evolution of understanding of standards because in addition to the technical and safety advancements, I've also found the IEC to be a really powerful forum for international collaboration, which is another thing that I find to be really important in my work at DOE.

[00:04:50] Grace Callahan: Yeah, and I echo everything that Carrie mentioned. I think that the IEC Young Professional Program has been really great for improving my understanding of standards and conformity assessment through the week-long workshop. I think both the Young Emerging Professionals Committee that Carrie talked about as well as the YP program are both just really great ways for young professionals to really become excited about standards by getting to meet other young people that are also involved, and just by being able to exchange new ideas.

[00:05:27] Host: And what needs to happen to make it more attractive for younger professionals?

[00:05:33] Grace Callahan: I think the biggest thing is awareness. I would say most people, especially young professionals, don't even know about standards or why they're important, so much less having a career in standardization. I would say secondly, you know, increasing diversity in the standards industry, we really want to create an environment where young professionals feel like they can actively participate and add value. And lastly, I would say, you know, just really showing the impact that standards have on everyday life, like why they're important, why they matter. You know, standards are everywhere. So, we really want to make sure that young professionals know that by pursuing a career in standardization, they can really have an impact on, you know, helping to make the world a safer place.

[00:06:24] Carrie Schmaus: Yeah, I think Grace said that really, really well, and I totally agree. I think awareness is one of the biggest barriers facing people getting involved in standards and conformity assessment. And so, I mean, to be honest, before I went to the YP program, I didn't know much about standards. but once I went through that program and was able to spend some time learning and thinking and networking, and really considering the positive impact that standardized conformity assessment can have, particularly in sustainability, I was totally sold. And so, I think a lot of young people really need that connection to whatever it is that they really care about in their work. And so, for me, that thing is climate change. And so, once I understood how standards and conformity assessment could bring our society into a greener, healthier future, really my only question was, okay, how do I get more involved in this? And so, I think if that connection between the IEC work and efforts like the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals or the UN SDGs, were clear to more people. Then I think there would be a lot of interest.

[00:07:31] Host: And apart from awareness, what is the role of mentorship and how has it structured or been structured in the standards community?

[00:07:42] Grace Callahan: So, mentorship is really important for young professionals to really get involved in the standards community as well as stay involved. A mentorship can provide, you know, insight and guidance, and, you know, informal mentors are just as important as, you know, formal mentors because sometimes it can be difficult to find one. But I think that especially being a young professional in the industry, having someone who can give you guidance can really make a difference in, in your career and the way that you, think about things and kind of your career path going forward.

[00:08:18] Carrie Schmaus: Yeah, I think that is, that's totally right. And I know I've personally benefited from guidance and insight of both formal and informal mentors. But one thing that the US YEP Committee, is really excited about, especially for those coming into the standards and conformity assessment world. Maybe for the first time, or maybe they're still pretty new is that the USNC does have a formal mentorship program. And this is a really neat program because it actually matches the mentors and the proteges or the mentees and then provides kind of a blueprint. A blueprint for what that relationship can look like. And so, as Grace mentioned, of course, for the proteges, that's really impactful and helpful to have kind of that guidance insight into the world of standards, or conformity assessment. But for folks that are mentors, that's also a really rewarding way to spend time. And I think, at least for me, being a mentor can really help you see your career through a new lens as well.

[00:09:17] Host: And seeing it through the new lens. What lies in the future for the IEC and USNC plans to develop the next generation of standard leaders?

[00:09:28] Carrie Schmaus: So, as we talked about at the beginning, the US National Program is under development now, and with that program, our ultimate goal is to build a community of young and emerging professionals in the United States. And, we have four kind of core values that we've built this program around. The first is diversity, equity, and inclusion. The second is outreach to a wide variety of audiences. We have a group working on events and programming, that will benefit the membership. So things like trainings and other events that will really help people get ingrained into the work. And then international collaboration. And so for the program, we're really hoping to build on these core values and kind of build it out into something that will really serve the young and emerging professionals in the US.

[00:10:16] Grace Callahan: Yes, and I wanted to add that we meet monthly, via teleconference with this group. And it's just such a great opportunity to get to know people who are also involved in standards, and really work together and collaborate and, and share, you know, ideas from, from their industries. So if you're in the US and interested in getting involved, you can go to our webpage, which is on the, ANSI website.

[00:10:39] Host: That's so interesting. And for young and emerging career professionals, how can they learn more about and build skills in standards?

[00:10:48] Grace Callahan: I would say one way is to join the YEP Committee. If you're in the U.S., you can also apply for the IEC YP program. You know, if you're located internationally, as well, you know, you can attend trainings on standards or apply to get involved or participate with a technical committee, to learn more that way, again, being a mentor or being a mentee, is also a really great way to really get involved in the industry and learn more.

[00:11:20] Carrie Schmaus: Yeah, absolutely. And I also would say, I think most of the people that work in standards and conformity assessment are really excited about their work. I know that's true for me. I'm sure that's true for Grace. And so if somebody were to reach out to me and just want to learn more, I would be more than happy to have that conversation. And I think that's true for a lot of people. So, For folks listening out there, if you see somebody working on something that you think is interesting, just reach out via, you know, a social media platform or via email and just ask to have a chat. And I bet that, you know, would be a successful way to, to learn more as well.

[00:11:55] Host: And I think uppermost on a lot of young people's minds when they explore different options is what are their career prospects then?

[00:12:05] Carrie Schmaus: That is such a great question and one that certainly was on my mind and, and still is as I get deeper into my career. In the world of standards and conformity assessment, there really are many different ways that it can either be a, you know, the full focus of your career or a really rewarding aspect of it. There are many technical career paths in this world and so you could be a contributing member or a leader within the technical committees. But I also think it's worth mentioning that there are some non-technical career paths, which is really more where I fit actually. I'm not a technical expert, on the technical committee for which my work at DOE participates on. But I'm finding a lot of satisfaction in my career where I'm helping to expand the reach of standards and conformity assessment, I'm thinking strategically about how standards can benefit the technology that I work on at DOE and of course working to improve the diversity, equity, and inclusion of the standards and conformity assessment community with the work at the U.S. National YEP Program.

[00:13:10] Grace Callahan: Yes. And I just want to emphasize that standards and conformity assessment are relevant to any industry. So there's not a singular career path, in the industry. As Carrie mentioned, I don't have a technical career path either. And it's really just a way that talking to people that are involved in standards, everybody came from, a lot of people came from a different background. So there's just tons of ways to get involved. So, you know, if you really want a career where you can make a positive impact, and really see the difference that your work makes, definitely consider a career in standards or conformity assessment.

[00:13:48] Host: And Grace and Carrie, it's been so interesting to talk to you because there's so many perspectives that's coming from this conversation. Thank you for speaking to the Word to the W.I.S.E. Podcast.

[00:13:59] Carrie Schmaus: Thank you so much for having us.

[00:14:00] Grace Callahan: Yes, thank you.