Women in Engineering Day 2026
This International Women in Engineering Day, we spotlight the incredible women engineers across our sites who are driving innovation forward.
Shani Arbel
Account Manager
Migdal Haemek, Israel
Shani Arbel, Account Manager
What do you love most about your work at Tower Semiconductor?
What I enjoy most about working at Tower Semiconductor is the dynamic environment, which enables continuous learning and personal growth. The work is very dynamic and brings interesting challenges.
I also appreciate that there is always someone to consult with and learn from across the different teams, which eventually helps us deliver the best possible solutions for our customers.
What stereotype about women in engineering would you like to break – based on your own experience?
I believe one stereotype that is simply untrue is that women have a less technical mindset.
From my own experience at Tower, many women have a very strong technical knowledge, which clearly shows that capability is not defined by gender. For me, engineering has always been about curiosity and dedication to learn and grow.
What unique “superpower” or perspective do you think women specifically bring to complex engineering challenges?
Women bring determination and leadership to engineering, turning complex challenges into opportunities and driving meaningful impact through the ability to listen, connect different perspectives, and keep the bigger picture in mind.
What is one “unseen” part of your work at Tower that you wish people understood better. The part that truly makes a difference in people’s lives?
A lot of effort goes into managing and aligning between different teams, and making sure issues are solved as quickly and accurately as possible.
This is where continuous teamwork and collaboration play a key role, enabling us to bring customers the best possible solutions.
Li Guangming
Principal Process Engineer,
Newport Beach, California, USA
Li Guangming, Principal Process Engineer
What do you love most about your work at Tower Semiconductor?
What I love most as a SiPho integration engineer is the endless challenges. Every day, we tackle process issues and strive to boost yield performance. It’s incredibly fulfilling to collaborate with teams – internal, external, across Tower and beyond – to solve these problems.
What stereotype about women in engineering would you like to break – based on your own experience?
There’s a stereotype that women, especially Asian women, are small, soft-voiced, shy, or intimidated in engineering. It took me time and practice to confidently speak up and make sure my voice is heard. I want others to know they can do the same.
What unique “superpower” or perspective do you think women bring to complex engineering challenges?
Women often bring detail-oriented thinking, the ability to connect the dots, and a knack for multitasking. We’re often persistent – we don’t stop until we drive to the root of a problem and solve it.
What is one “unseen” part of your work at Tower that you wish people understood better. The part that truly makes a difference?
My work is quite transparent – there’s no hidden part. I often have to raise issues or potential problems, working with teams across process engineering, CAD, R&D, production, and testing. Sometimes addressing problems can feel uncomfortable, but it’s never personal. We all work hard to keep this fab producing high-yield wafers!
Tara Van Surksum-Kuhns
Process Engineer,
San Antonio, Texas, USA
Tara Van Surksum-Kuhns, Process Engineer
What do you love most about your work at Tower Semiconductor?
I love the opportunities available to work on many different projects, in different areas, and with different people! Projects shift often and there is always an interesting problem to solve!
What stereotype about women in engineering would you like to break – based on your own experience?
Women are not as career-driven or focused. I balance a technical and demanding position with a family at home. Holding the titles of both a mother and an engineer are extremely important to me.
What unique “superpower” or perspective do you think women specifically bring to complex engineering challenges?
I think working in a male-dominated field often gives women a little more pressure or drive to succeed. Being the only or one of a few women in the room also makes the women stand out more. This gives women great opportunities to make their perspectives heard!
What is one “unseen” part of your work at Tower that you wish people understood better. The part that truly makes a difference in people’s lives?
This position involves a lot of collaboration as we all work together towards a greater goal. Sometimes others depend on you to keep their own projects moving forward. I do my best to balance helping others with their projects as I also work on my own so we can all succeed.
Momoko Bando
FEOL Process Engineer
TPSCo – Uozu, Japan
Momoko Bando, FEOL Process Engineer
What do you love most about your work at TPSCo/Tower Semiconductor?
I enjoy being able to collaborate with various departments to solve problems and drive improvement initiatives.
What stereotype about women in engineering would you like to break – based on your own experience?
I think it is an environment where people can thrive regardless of gender by leveraging their individual backgrounds. That is why I would like to help break the stereotype that semiconductor engineering is a male-oriented field.
What unique “superpower” or perspective do you think women specifically bring to complex engineering challenges?
I believe one strength is the ability to organize information logically and present it in a clear, visual way, which helps facilitate collaboration across various departments and leads to effective problem-solving.
What is one “unseen” part of your work at TPSCo/Tower that you wish people understood better. The part that truly makes a difference in people’s lives?
I think that improving and stabilizing manufacturing processes ultimately leads to delivering products that customers can use with satisfaction, and that this has a meaningful impact on people’s lives.