Senior Principal Systems Engineer Network Centric Systems
The Raytheon Certified Architect Program (RCAP) is the culmination of Raytheon's systems architecting learning curriculum. RCAP focuses on providing our customers with the expertise needed to support their long-term transformational goals. In recognition of their certification, we continue to highlight our Raytheon certified architects.
Suzanne Hassell is a Raytheon Certified Architect at NCS in Largo, Fla., currently researching information assurance architectures for the Information Assurance Emerging Technologies campaign and an Identify–Develop–Expose–Action (IDEA) project.
Hassell joined Raytheon three years ago with 23 years of experience in systems engineering, systems and software architecture, and software development in the communications industry. Hassell holds seven U.S. patents in the communications area. Hassell got her start as an architect in 1983 at Bell Labs, when she was on the system architecture team that developed the Datakit Virtual Circuit Switch, an early packet switch. "Looking back now," she said, "I see that working on such a cutting-edge, successful architecture early in my career really inspired me to continue to remain technical and focused on architecture."
At the time, Bell Laboratories was at the forefront of networking and architecture development and methods. Hassell focused on software, systems and network architecture for all aspects of networking protocols and architectures, both at AT&T and later at E-Systems (acquired by Raytheon in 1995) for the Data Distribution System (now CEC).
At Raytheon, Hassell has met with customers on the Red Switch programs and at tradeshows and demonstrations as principal investigator for SVoIP internal research and development efforts. "One of the things that impresses me the most about Raytheon is how everyone in the company is totally focused on the customer," she said. "Listening to customers is the most important thing."
Hassell believes that one of the key challenges that Raytheon faces is continuing to leverage One Raytheon initiatives to streamline processes and to enable better communications and reuse across business areas. "Raytheon employees are very willing and happy to work across business unit boundaries," Hassell stated. "But the separate business unit charging structure and tools sometimes puts up barriers in cross-business initiatives that constrain collaboration in areas such as research or process improvement." Hassell said she is impressed with the wide range of opportunities available within Raytheon and has enjoyed moving into areas beyond communications, such as performing enterprise architecture for border security, command and control, and information assurance projects.
Hassell cites many reasons for her career success. "Working with and learning from excellent colleagues and customers and seeking out a wide variety of assignments are very important," she said. "My degree in physics and mathematics and taking additional psychology, sociology, speech and research-writing courses has really helped me in enterprise architecture."
Hassell became a Raytheon Certified Architect in 2007, and she praises the RCAP program. "It is a tremendous program. It provides a common architecture discipline framework across Raytheon and between Raytheon and our customers. This allows us to communicate more effectively and leverage work done in other areas, both inside and outside Raytheon."
