A Knack for Math Leads to Engineering Career
09/01/2023
By Karen Angelo
Army Researcher Works to Improve Soldier Equipment Through Advanced Materials
Suzanne Horner ’03, ’05 always had a knack for math.
“To this day, I can still remember equations and formulas from high school,” she says. “Now, whenever my kids are working on their math homework, they roll their eyes at me because of how excited I get about helping them solve the problems.”
Horner’s parents encouraged her to apply her aptitude for math to becoming an engineer, but Horner, who was raised in Berlin, Massachusetts, was also interested in nursing. Not ready to commit to a major or profession right out of high school, she decided to attend community college.
“I got the opportunity to explore what I really wanted to do,” says Horner, who transferred to UMass Lowell as a mechanical engineering major. “By the time I started at UML, I was very excited and motivated about studying mechanical engineering, which I chose because I wanted to apply my love for math toward something tangible. I knew that it would provide a strong technical foundation and a range of career opportunities.”
Horner’s career took off with help from one of her professors, Julie Chen, who is now UMass Lowell’s chancellor. Chen introduced her to a project researcher at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Soldier Center in Natick, Massachusetts, and that opened a career path.
“I got my first job out of college working as a researcher at DEVCOM Soldier Center, thanks to the chancellor’s recommendation,” says Horner, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering at UMass Lowell. “On the job, I applied many of the skills I learned at UML in modeling and characterization of textile materials and systems.”
This position launched her career as an engineer for the Army.
Horner currently serves as deputy program manager at DEVCOM Soldier Center. The programs involve the development of advanced textile materials and the revitalization of U.S. domestic textile manufacturing capability through manufacturing technology.
“There are a lot of opportunities in this space to develop and implement automation, robotics and digital technologies... UMass Lowell is a pioneer in this area.” -Suzanne Horner
“There are a lot of opportunities in this space to develop and implement automation, robotics and digital technologies,” says Horner. “UMass Lowell is a pioneer in this area, having launched the Fabric Discovery Center, a collaborative innovation center uniting Manufacturing USA institutes across flexible hybrid electronics, robotics and textiles sectors.”
Previously, she worked for the Program Executive Office Soldier in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, a U.S. Army organization that develops and delivers soldier equipment to the field.
“Working in a position where I could directly affect soldier equipment was very fulfilling,” says Horner. “Some of the most impactful programs I worked on were for protective systems such as helmets and body armor, which are nothing more than composite systems. Probably not coincidentally, it was through those programs that I connected and collaborated with other UML graduates working in industry.”
For leading the program that developed ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene film for combat helmet protection, Horner received the prestigious Defense Manufacturing Technology Achievement Award in 2020 from the U.S. Department of Defense. The advanced materials significantly reduced the weight of the helmets.
Horner is also involved in UMass Lowell’s Harnessing Emerging Research Opportunities to Empower Soldiers (HEROES) program as a technical reviewer and assessor of technology transition readiness.
“I don’t know of any academic institutions that have prioritized research for soldiers and all warfighters as UML has,” she says.
Reflecting on her UML education, Horner appreciates the rigorous, high-quality academics and the connections she has made.
“UMass Lowell ... has a strong reputation for developing well-rounded engineers,” she says. “I am grateful for the hands-on learning, the collaborative environment and the connections made with industry. Chancellor Chen was a huge inspiration for me. The coursework was difficult, but she made it fun and engaging. Her passion for her work inspired me and, I think, all her students.”