How IEEE Awardee Karen Panetta Became Bewitched by Engineering

Karen Panetta was inspired to pursue engineering by the strong, empowered female leads of 1960s sitcoms Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie, who used magic to navigate life. She saw engineering as a form of sorcery. Now an IEEE Fellow and dean of graduate education at Tufts University's engineering school in Medford, Massachusetts, Panetta has made significant contributions to computer vision and simulation algorithms. She also founded the Nerd Girls program in 2000 to encourage young women to pursue STEM careers, focusing on socially conscious projects like environmental cleanup and assistive devices.

Panetta's most notable achievement is co-inventing the first CPU digital-twin simulator, which allows testing of hardware and software simultaneously. This simulator has been adapted for industrial uses, including by NASA for spacecraft design. For her work, she received the 2024 IEEE Mildred Dresselhaus Medal, sponsored by Google, at the IEEE Honors Ceremony in New York City on April 24. The medal holds special significance for Panetta because she knew Dresselhaus personally and had nominated her for the IEEE Medal of Honor in 2015.

Growing up in Boston, Panetta was creative and excelled in math and science. Her father, a mechanic, encouraged her to study civil engineering, but she became fascinated with computer programming and wanted to understand the hardware inside the computer. She earned a bachelor's degree in computer engineering from Boston University, commuting to school and joining IEEE to connect with peers. She organized student events and was encouraged by IEEE Life Senior Member Jim Watson, who told her that showing up and organizing was more important than grades.

After graduating in 1986, Panetta was hired as a diagnostic engineer at Digital Equipment Corp. She earned a master's degree in electrical engineering from Northeastern University in 1988 while working full-time. In the early 1990s, she worked with Ernst Ulrich on developing a new CPU using CMOS transistors. They created a simulation to test the CPU during design, which was unprecedented at the time. This work led to the first CPU digital twin, revolutionizing hardware-software co-development.

Panetta continues to mentor young engineers through the Nerd Girls program and remains active in IEEE. Her career exemplifies how creativity and persistence can lead to groundbreaking innovations. She believes that engineering, like magic, can transform ideas into reality, and she encourages others to explore the field with curiosity and determination.