Wayne State ISE alumna to speak at TechTown event celebrating Black leaders in mobility

Wayne State University College of Engineering alumna Donna Bell, Ph.D., will host a fireside chat as part of Detroit on the Move: Celebrating the Evolution of Black Mobility, a daylong conference held by TechTown Detroit on Feb. 16 in honor of Black History Month.

Detroit on the Move: Celebrating the Evolution of Black Mobility, which will take place at WSU’s Industry Innovation Center, honors the legacy of Black leaders in the mobility industry while highlighting the current achievements of the new generation of pioneers. The event will also feature panels geared toward mobility-focused entrepreneurs and startups, and a business pitch competition for high school students.

Bell, who holds two master’s degrees from Wayne State and graduated from the Global Executive Track Ph.D. program in 2019, is executive vice president of product creation, engineering and supply chain at Lordstown Motors, an Ohio-based OEM for electric vehicles. She has three decades of hands-on leadership experience in engineering, product development, purchasing, quality, mobility and autonomous vehicle strategy, and research. Her work in the development of electronic modules and infotainment systems led to her receiving multiple patents.

The Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering honored Bell as its distinguished alumna at the College of Engineering Hall of Fame awards dinner last April. Bell also serves on the department’s industrial board and is a member of the college’s Women in Engineering Executive Leadership Society.

Those wishing to attend can register through TechTown. The event opens with light refreshments at 9 a.m. on Feb. 16 before the conference begins at 9:30 a.m.