The Society of Women Engineers recently granted Melissa Tata a Distinguished New Engineer award for engineering leadership in Six Sigma and management. Tata, a senior manager of inventory control for Dell Inc., was also recognized for her dedication to teaching girls about engineering and the development of future SWE leaders. Tata leads an 85-member team in 12 Dell manufacturing, fulfillment, and remanufacturing facilities in the United States. She leads the inventory-accountability meetings driving toward $5 million in annual savings. Prior to that position, she was a Six Sigma Black Belt program manager, sustaining engineer manager, and workstation product engineer. Overall, her teams have driven more than $15 million in savings in the past four years.

“Melissa Tata has demonstrated incredible leadership and initiative while championing diversity during her young career at Dell,” says Ronna Robertson, SWE president. “She is inspiring to young engineers and students by excelling to be the best at her career.”

Tata has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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