In celebration of , ASRC Federal is shining a light on its over 1,500 engineers for their dedication in support of our customers and our Nation鈥檚 most critical missions. A few of their dedicated engineering professionals share why they chose to pursue a purpose-driven career in this field and why their work matters.
Ranjana Mone, Software Engineering Manager
Aegis Combat System, Defense & Intelligence Operating Group
As a software engineering manager, Ranjana Mone leads a high-performing engineering team delivering mission-critical software for the Aegis Combat System in collaboration with our partner Lockheed Martin. She also serves as a product manager for international programs supporting Japan, Australia and Canada initiatives. Her focus is aligning product vision with engineering execution, enabling cross-functional collaboration and delivering high-quality secured software solutions in defense-critical environments.
Q: What inspired you to have a career in engineering?
A: My greatest inspiration is the continuous evolution of technology and the opportunity to apply it to solve complex problems. For me, engineering is not just building software but it鈥檚 about continuously growing, innovating and delivering robust, secure and impactful solutions.
Q: What aspect of your work has the biggest impact on our customers?
A: With national security as our shared goal, we operate as 鈥極ne Team鈥 with 鈥極ne Mission鈥. This mindset allows us to meet demanding timelines, maintain high-quality standards and proactively solve complex challenges in dynamic environments.
Emily Plummer, Principal Business Systems Analyst and Systems Engineer
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Civilian & Health Operating Group
Emily Plummer leads an Agile team supporting the Division of Enterprise Architecture at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and guides cross-functional teams in designing, integrating and maintaining enterprise-level systems that align with CMS鈥檚 strategic architecture, federal standards and business objectives. She facilitates Agile ceremonies, manages technical backlogs and ensures the delivery of scalable, secure and compliant solutions across a complex healthcare IT environment.
Q: What inspired you to have a career in engineering?
A: I was inspired to pursue a career in engineering because I鈥檝e always been drawn to solving complex problems that have real-world impact. Engineering offers the opportunity to turn ideas into practical solutions, and I am motivated by knowing that the systems we design and support directly affect people鈥檚 lives.
Q: What do you enjoy most about being an engineer?
A: I enjoy breaking down complex problems, collaborating with talented teammates and designing practical, scalable solutions. The continuous learning in engineering keeps me engaged and constantly growing as technology evolves. Most rewarding is seeing our solutions move from concept to implementation and knowing they support critical systems that people rely on every day.
John Bevz, Mechanical and Fire Protection Engineer
U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force and Air Force Research Laboratory, Defense & Intelligence Operating Group
John Bevz is a senior mechanical and fire protection engineer. At Kirtland Air Force Base, John offers technical guidance and evaluation of equipment malfunctions to assist in timely and effective repairs. He also provides design review of new construction building plans and specifications as well as oversees inspections for military construction and internal customer-funded projects.
Q: What inspired you to have a career in engineering?
A: I鈥檝e been building and constructing since I was a kid. From Legos to skateboard ramps, I鈥檝e always had an affinity for creating. Great mentors inspired me to pursue engineering, as I excelled at math and spatial awareness came naturally to me. I was inspired by the following quote from Nobel Prize-winning American theoretical physicist Richard P. Feynman, 鈥淚t is wonderful if you can find something you love to do in your youth which is big enough to sustain your interest through all your adult life.鈥 That is what engineering is for me.
Q: What role does innovation play in helping your customers achieve their missions?
A: Our commitment to mission success is demonstrated through the strategic implementation of advanced technologies that deliver tangible results for our customers. By leveraging artificial intelligence capabilities, we are accelerating workflows and data synthesis, enabling personnel to pivot from routine tasks to high-value strategic objectives. Concurrently, our adoption of new, energy-efficient refrigerant standards is producing significant operational advantages. These advanced refrigerants, paired with modern compressor technology, not only reduce the electrical grid load and lower operational costs but also underscore our dedication to sustainability, ensuring our customers benefit from enhanced performance and a reduced environmental footprint.
Etta Johnston, Quality Assurance Engineer
BadgerWorks Team and Customers, Supply Chain Management & Logistics Operating Group
As a quality assurance engineer, Etta Johnston helps maintain AS9100 compliance while ensuring the quality and reliability of our products. She鈥檚 directly involved in the engineering design process, working closely with the engineering team to build quality into products from the very beginning.
Q: What inspired you to have a career in engineering?
A: I鈥檝e always enjoyed learning new things, and engineering gives me that opportunity every day. I love seeing ideas turn into real, tangible products, and I鈥檓 especially drawn to the discipline and structure of maintaining a strong quality system that supports that process.
Q: What skills or traits do you think are most important for success in this discipline?
A: Keeping an open mind and thinking outside the box are essential, along with discipline and attention to detail. It鈥檚 also important not to be afraid to start over, learn from challenges and continuously improve.
Noel Yim-Levin, Task Order Lead and Systems Engineer
Federal Aviation Administration, Civilian & Health Operating Group
As a task order lead, Noel Yim-Levin supports systems within the Federal Aviation Administration鈥檚 National Airspace Systems. Her work focuses on secondary support, upgrades, maintenance and design of technical systems. She is responsible for leading contractors, such as computer scientists, engineers, technical specialists, project coordinators, technical writers and configuration management specialists.
Q: What inspired you to have a career in engineering?
A: A career in engineering is truly inspirational to me because it focuses on solving real-world challenges while contributing positively to society. An engineering degree provides multidisciplinary exposure. Engineers learn to think analytically and structurally and are able to translate between business and system designs. The engineering discipline brings flexibility and is transferable across industries.
Q: What鈥檚 the most rewarding part of helping our customers achieve their goals through engineering?
A: I enjoy identifying technical solutions and continuous improvement opportunities to provide business benefits for our customers. I create value for them by improving efficiency, strengthening contractor team effectiveness, reducing costs and producing positive impacts. The most rewarding part is being a problem solver to help my customers succeed.
Brett Anderson, Mechanical Engineer
Defense Logistics Agency, Apache Program Management Office and Javelin Joint Venture, Supply Chain Management & Logistics Operating Group
Brett Anderson鈥檚 role involves redesigning physical products to make them better, cheaper and/or to fix existing problems with a current product. This involves a lot of computer-aided design (CAD) modeling and technical drawing creation for sending out the designs to be manufactured.
Q: What inspired you to have a career in engineering?
A: Since I was young, I have always been interested in the way things work. As I grew older and learned more, I started thinking of ways that things could work better if they were designed differently.
Q: What excites you most about the future of engineering in your discipline?
A: I鈥檓 excited about additive manufacturing becoming more advanced. The more precise that parts can be printed and the more materials we can print with, this will open up even more applications for additive manufacturing to be used in mechanical designs.
Read our 鈥National Engineers Week: A Profession that Empowers Government Missions鈥 blog to learn how the ASRC Federal team of engineers is delivering mission success for federal agencies.