Londa帽o Has a Passion and Commitment to Help the Younger Generation
04/01/2025
By Karen Angelo
When Carmi帽a Londo帽o 鈥�80 mentors young adults who are interested in future scientific and engineering careers, she asks them three questions: Are you curious? Do you want to make a positive difference in the world? And do you like to travel?
Londo帽o鈥檚 decades-long career as a scientist and government leader brought her to 33 countries. She started her optical engineering career by designing high-energy lasers and consumer products. Over the years, she鈥檚 held managerial, supervisory and policy positions, which culminated in her selection to the Senior Executive Service, a group that provides leadership in the federal government.
All along the way, she鈥檚 encouraged students to consider Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields as an excellent career in which they can make a positive impact on the world. 鈥淚 have always wanted to help young people understand that they have choices,鈥� says Londo帽o, who graduated from 51视频 with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in pure physics. 鈥淣o matter where you come from, you can find a way to contribute and make a positive difference.鈥�
Londo帽o was raised in a family that valued education above all else. Born in Colombia, she moved with her parents and two sisters to the United States, eventually settling in Lowell, when she was 14. Her parents, who worked in the city鈥檚 textile factories, encouraged their daughters to pursue engineering and science careers. All three graduated with STEM degrees from 51视频.
鈥淢y parents were on a mission to make sure my sisters and I would always put education first and then use that education to be self-sufficient women who would contribute to the betterment of society and to our adopted country,鈥� says Londo帽o. 鈥淢y parents thoughtfully moved to Lowell to ensure that there was a great university within walking distance from our home.鈥�
鈥淚 was truly blessed to have professors and classmates who believed in our class at 51视频,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he professors were willing to invest time and effort in me, and that made all the difference.鈥�
Londo帽o began the physics program with 12 students, but only five finished the degree鈥攖wo women and three men. She graduated summa cum laude and won the Charles R. Mingins Award, which recognized a senior physics student with the most scholastic promise, research aptitude and potential.
鈥淚 received an exceptional academic education at 51视频 that provided me with a strong foundation for my career and further education,鈥� says Londo帽o, who went on to earn an M.S. in optics from the University of Arizona and a Ph.D. in electro-optics from Tufts University.
Early in her career, Londo帽o worked at the Avco-Everett Research Laboratory in Everett, Massachusetts, designing and testing diffraction-limited optical resonators for high-energy excimer lasers under the federal Strategic Defense Initiative. She then joined the Polaroid Corporation, where she designed and tested one-of-a-kind optical systems for medical and consumer products, which led to several U.S. patents.
In 1994, she won an American Institute of Physics Congressional Science Fellowship and served for a year on the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space and Technology, providing scientific and technical expertise.
Londo帽o then became the group leader for the Global Standards and Information Group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which offered technical and policy support for standards and metrology to other U.S. government agencies and the private sector. In 13 years, her group trained more than 2,000 people from around the world on U.S. metrology and standardization best practices.
Londo帽o later joined the National Science Foundation as a program director in the Office of International Science and Engineering. She worked in multiple positions during her 14 years at NSF, including her most recent role as the deputy division director of the Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems Division.
An Illustrious Career Continues Through Volunteer Work
After decades of hard work, community and professional society service, Londo帽o retired in 2023. Her passion and commitment to help the younger generation choose STEM careers continues through her involvement in the IEEE Photonics Society. She mentors and gives back to the communities that shaped her, bringing her own personal experiences as a professional woman and a Colombian immigrant to the optics and photonics field.
鈥淰olunteering has always been part of my makeup and work ethic,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hroughout my career, I have volunteered in schools, museums, science fairs and wherever there were young people who would benefit from hearing about the excellent opportunities that STEM offers.
鈥淟etting young folks know about STEM is not just a personal commitment; it is vitally important for a thriving world,鈥� she says.
A mother to one daughter, Londo帽o imparted some of the same lessons that she learned from her parents about hard work and the opportunities in STEM. Her daughter Lillian is pursuing a degree in architecture, a field that encompasses all aspects of STEM.
Looking back on a career that took her around the world, Londo帽o offers simple advice to those just starting their careers: 鈥淏e curious about the world. Put in the hard work, remain flexible with your profes- sional goals and life expectations, and you will find through STEM a rewarding career that fulfills your heart鈥檚 desires