Liz Withey
About Liz Withey
Liz Withey is the Research and Development Team Lead at Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, California, with extensive experience in materials science and engineering.
Company
Liz Withey is currently working at Sandia National Laboratories, located in Livermore, California. Sandia National Laboratories is known for its contribution to national security, technology development, and scientific research.
Title
Since 2018, Liz Withey has held the title of Research and Development Team Lead at Sandia National Laboratories. In this role, she oversees the strategic direction and operational functions of her team, ensuring the delivery of innovative technology solutions.
Professional Roles and Experience
Liz Withey has a broad professional experience in research and development roles. Prior to her current position, she served as a Qualification Lead at Sandia National Laboratories for 10 months from 2017 to 2018. She was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the same institution from 2014 to 2017. Liz also has experience as a Postdoctoral Researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory from 2011 to 2013, and a Postdoctoral Scholar at University of California, Berkeley from 2010 to 2011. Her early career included roles as a Graduate Student at UC Berkeley from 2005 to 2009, and as a Summer Intern in the Materials Science Division at Caterpillar in 2004.
Education and Expertise
Liz Withey holds a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, where she studied from 2005 to 2009. She earned her BS in Materials Science and Engineering from Purdue University, graduating in 2005. Her academic background in materials science underscores her expertise in research and development within this field.
Leadership and Strategic Planning
In her role as Research and Development Team Lead, Liz Withey led the transition of her team to support technology development for multiple applications. She developed a long-term strategic plan for her team, spanning 3-5 years, to guide future projects and initiatives. Liz also implemented a robust business rhythm to enhance responsiveness to customer needs and internal requests. Additionally, she restructured her team to improve communication and reduce single point failures.
Communication Skills
Liz Withey has demonstrated strong communication skills through her ability to present status updates and proposed work scopes to the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and other internal stakeholders. Her proficiency in conveying complex technical information effectively has been a vital part of her contributions at Sandia National Laboratories.