The Innovative Engineer

Cynthia Flanigan, PhD, has been able to channel her interest in the environment into her life's work. "I love being in nature and I think it's important that we conserve it," explains Flanigan, the Chief Engineer of Vehicle Research and Technology at Ford. Her interest in science and passion for pushing boundaries first landed her at Ford Motor Company 19 years ago, where Flanigan sought to discover new uses for sustainable materials.

Today, the global team of 275 that she oversees continues to search for ways to help the environment while also meeting the Ford standard for performance. "We have been focusing our research on reducing the company's environmental footprint," says Flanigan. "The team has been able to make good use of farmers' leftover crops once they've been processed for food, thereby reducing carbon dioxide emissions, and also improving fuel efficiency with lighter parts."

One of Flanigan's greatest accomplishments to date: working on the development of soybean-based seat foam for vehicles—a project that took her all-female research team seven years to complete. Since it debuted in the 2008 model year Mustang, the foam has kept more than 251 million pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. Every North American built vehicle including the all-new 2020 Ford Explorer uses soybean foam in place of petroleum-derived foam in the seat cushions, backs, and headrests. In addition, this vehicle contains castor oil in the instrument panel.

Sustainability, Flanigan points out, is in the company's DNA. "Henry Ford always sought out ways to intersect the agricultural community and the auto industry." It's in hers as well. "I see part of my team's role as making things more environmentally positive," she says.

Ford has implemented several different types of biomaterials in production (from wheat straw and tree cellulose to recycled jeans), and over the years, it has experimented with a bevy of materials, including tomato skins, pineapple leaves, and even recycled currency. "We have an innovation pipeline to continue this momentum and look for future opportunities," says Flanigan. "I think that's really cool."

Soy-based foam, derived from the oil that comes from crushed soybeans, is part of the soft material found in the seats, instrument panel, and roof liner of the all-new 2020 Explorer.

Flanigan now manages a global team of 275, and the lab coat she still dons when working with other scientists embodies her inner innovator. "Wearing a lab coat shows I have the knowledge and confidence to get my hands dirty, try things, and see what works and what doesn't."

Flanigan credits her employer with promoting work-life balance. "I have two children, and early on, Ford gave me the ability to work part-time for nine years," she says.

When she started at Ford, the members of Flanigan's all-female team were flexible and collaborative as well. "We'd cover for each other when unexpected stuff came up. Having the support of several women made raising kids and having a career really possible for me," she says.

Flanigan says she has also benefited from the advice and support of male mentors. "They would say, 'If you're first in a room, go sit at the table. Don't sit in the back,'" she recalls. "Those little nuggets of advice make you look at a situation through a different lens."

It's this same openness to new people and experiences that Flanigan, who now serves as a mentor to younger employees, urges others in the field to embrace. "To learn from other people, you have to get out of the lab," she says. "For me to look back at my career and say I've made a positive impact on helping others achieve their goals—I'll be really proud of that."