By Elisabeth Costanzo Stewart
In 2025, when a woman expresses interest in entering the field of engineering, she is celebrated. There are scholarships, mentorship programs, and even a day of recognition every June to commemorate the immeasurable impact made by women in engineering around the world. But in the 1950s, the few women who dared to enter the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math were often questioned, discouraged, and even outrightly dismissed.
Thankfully, not all women allowed naysayers to deter them from pursuing their dreams. One such pioneer is SUNY Broome alumna Karen Weygand Maddock (PE ’61). As one of the first female graduates of what was then Broome Technical Community College’s Engineering Physics program, she continued on to a more than four-decade career as a software developer for nearly every major technology company in the world. Maddock credits her many successes in a historically underrepresented field to hard work, grit, familial support, and a strong foundation from SUNY Broome.
Born in Oneonta, NY, as the fifth of seven children, Maddock was known for her natural aptitude in the classroom. This fact was of great annoyance to her younger brothers, who were regularly reminded by their teachers about their “bright big sister Karen.”
Though neither parent was college educated, Maddock couldn’t imagine not continuing her studies. She loved school, and a senior-year physics class piqued her interest in all things STEM, before STEM was even an acronym. While her mother and father could not offer official guidance during her college search, they fully supported her goals. During her private research, Maddock stumbled upon Broome Technical Community College. At just an hour from Oneonta, she could earn an associate degree in what was then Engineering Physics (Engineering Science A.A.S.) and then transfer to complete her bachelor’s degree.
Bound for Broome, 18-year-old Maddock found a room to rent from a local couple and hitched a ride to and from campus with a neighbor. At her first engineering class of the semester, Maddock realized that she was one of just two women in the program. Though daunting for most, she was completely unfazed by the disproportionate male-to-female ratio.
“Occasionally, a few of the boys that I studied with would tease me, but I had brothers. Brothers prepare you for everything.” Maddock said. “I was part of a study group with four boys from my class, and we worked through our assignments together. That type of group work helped us master the material.”
Though female students were a rarity in the Engineering Physics program, Maddock never felt dismissed by the faculty.
“The professors were generally very accepting of my presence in the classroom,” Maddock shared. “There may have been some professors who wished they had a room full of all male students, but if they did, they never let on.”
On campus at Broome Tech, Maddock kept a low profile, with a mission to learn. She plugged away at her studies, free from most distractions. (She made an exception for rounds of early morning and between classes games of Pinochle with fellow students.) After graduating from the College in 1961, Maddock then transferred to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Unlike at Broome, where classes were small and personalized, Wisconsin’s lecture halls were filled with hundreds of students. Overwhelmed and missing the academic environment to which she’d become accustomed, Maddock returned to New York State and enrolled at Hartwick College to complete her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics.
Maddock happily toured SUNY Broome’s campus to explore the many changes and advancements that have occurred since her time as a student. Photo Credit: Matt Ebbers
As young women in the early 1960s, Maddock and her peers were often encouraged to marry and have children. Maddock, however, had two college degrees to put to use, so instead of following the herd towards a life of domesticity, she accepted a position at General Electric (GE) in Valley Forge, PA.
At GE, Maddock joined a small cohort of women in the newly created division of “software development.” Through a combination of on-the-job training and mentorship from women slightly older than her, Maddock learned the ins and outs of software design.
After a particularly long work week, Maddock and her roommate went out to relax. Unbeknownst to Maddock, while she scrolled through songs on a jukebox, she caught the attention of Jerome Maddock. Sparked by the thunderbolt of love at first sight, Jerome introduced himself, complimented her taste in music, and the rest is history.
While many assumed Maddock would stop working after marrying Jerome, the couple planned to grow their careers together. Thanks to special assignments through government contracts, Maddock acquired the niche expertise of developing software for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), supporting small and medium-sized airports nationwide.
During her stint as a Lead Software Designer for the Burroughs Corporation, a pioneer in digital computers, Maddock and Jerome decided to relocate to Colorado. When she presented her two-week notice, the company’s management team asked her to consider an alternative plan.
“Instead of accepting my resignation, they asked me to open a branch of our division in Colorado. I was given full rein to find a building, furnish it, recruit and staff a team of 15, and manage our projects and day-to-day operations,” Maddock explained. “Women weren’t accepted into management training programs during those days, so everything I learned was by observation and on-the-job experiences.”
Though she received many accolades and promotions throughout her career, Maddock’s status as a woman in engineering wasn’t always welcomed. She occasionally overheard the snide remark that a man should be working in her place. Once, she was assigned to a contract for a cement plant that didn’t have a women’s restroom in the entire facility. (A kind colleague stood guard outside the door whenever needed.)
“My funniest story is from when I was on a contract for The United States Steel Corporation (U.S. Steel). I checked in at the plant, and the male receptionist panicked. I overheard him on the phone saying, ‘Do we even allow women in the building?” Maddock laughed. “I told him that they better let a woman in the building if they wanted to learn how to use the new power demand control system I designed for them! That made him open the door.”
In her more than forty years in industry, thanks to mergers, acquisitions, and government contracts, Maddock ended up working for almost every major tech company in the world. She did lengthy stints almost everywhere, from Unisys to IBM to Lockheed Martin.
Maddock officially retired in Colorado in 2007. After her beloved Jerome passed away in 2017, she moved back to Pennsylvania to be closer to family. Reunited with her sister Celia and many nieces and nephews, Maddock lives in a nearby retirement community. There, she keeps sharp by playing bridge, tackling the daily crossword puzzles, and serving as the go-to technical support representative for her friends and neighbors.
Maddock’s Advice for Women in STEM Today: “Decide what you want to do, stick with it, and don’t let anyone deter you from your goals.”
Read more inspiring stories in the Fall 2025 edition of BROOME Magazine: bit.ly/broomefl2025
Tags: Alumni, Engineering Science AS, Profile, STEM Division, SUNY Broome Foundation
