Therese Glancy Houghton (EE ’81) worked for the Navy as an electrical engineer for more than a decade before she was called to improve the lives of others in a different capacity. In 1994, Houghton left to attend clown camp.

“It sounds funny,” she admits, “but I worked with hospice patients, spreading laughter. This experience confirmed my decision to go to seminary.”

Houghton became an ordained Baptist minister in 2000 and then began working with a church-based organization to transform the lives of families in Fredericksburg, Va. Under her leadership, the organization — Olde Forge Junction Inc.— became a fully staffed nonprofit.

Houghton says she uses her engineering background daily: “The critical thinking skills I learned at SEAS allow me to quickly assess a situation and define a work breakdown structure for our team.”

She adds that the sense of community fostered by the atmosphere at SEAS has been helpful. “At SEAS, we were all working together toward common goals,” she explains. “This notion that everyone has their place in the process is important in community transformation.”

Whether managing large-scale projects like park renovations and adult learning programs or connecting atrisk youths with mentors, in her heart Houghton remains an engineer.

Defining her organization’s mission, she says, laughing, “I still use engineering lingo: We are working together for a ‘common output’ — a better tomorrow.”