Lottie Richardson. Photo by Lonnie Timmons III.Lottie Richardson had a plan to graduate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, go to medical school, and become a doctor.聽鈥淚 grew up with this university being in my backyard all of my life,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 witnessed campus life and how you do outreach in the community. I was convinced by mom, Letha Walker Richardson, who earned her bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degree here, that you can be the face of the city and encourage other young people to make a difference in the city. The college is the city, and we are afforded the opportunity to have the city and the college, so that was a win win for me.鈥While she will proudly graduate Dec. 16 from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in systems engineering and minor in mathematics, an unexpected opportunity at has changed her career plans.Richardson developed an interest in the manufacturing industry while taking an operations course. She spoke with Jeff Jones, a fellow systems engineering graduate who works at 尝’翱谤茅补濒 who invited her to learn more about the company.鈥淭hey called me for an interview, and the rest is history,鈥 Richardson said. 鈥淚 immediately fell in love with 尝’翱谤茅补濒 and said I needed to be here. They are the No. 1 cosmetics company. It鈥檚 one of the greatest companies to work for. They provide you with the tools to be successful. With me having zero experience walking in the door, they saw something in me and provided me with all the tools I need to be successful.鈥Richardson works 20 hours a week as a project manager in the Flows Department, which supports the production of 尝’翱谤茅补濒 products. She is also working on integrating the company’s labeling and management systems into one automated system that would lay the groundwork for automated guided vehicles (AVGs), portable robots that follow markers or wires in the floor or uses vision, magnets, or lasers for navigation. The AVGs could be used to easier make materials easier to move in the facility. Richardson鈥檚 supervisor, Tyler Kent, flows project engineer, described Richardson as a good employee who knows how to get projects done. 鈥淟ottie has a very good work ethic,鈥 Kent said. 鈥淪he has taken the projects assigned to her and pushed through roadblocks to make sure they get done. She asks the right questions and has been very good at reaching out to other departments when she needs help. I am glad to have had her in our department as she has done an excellent job and made a good impression on our staff here.鈥
Richardson has been an active member of the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock community, serving as president of the Society of Women Engineers and treasurer of the National Society of Black Engineers.A member of the Chancellor鈥檚 Leadership Corps, she has gained valuable experience as a student ambassador for the College of Engineering and Information Technology, a data verification intern at in Little Rock, and a student researcher for theCenter for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences.Another great accomplishment at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock has been a trip to the Clinton Global Initiative University Oct. 13-15 at Northeastern University in Boston. Her team was selected to attend the conference for their senior design project. They worked with a nonprofit organization that introduces clean water solutions, to redesign and build a water pump that will provide access to clean drinking water in a rural village in Haiti.鈥淪tudents our age are going above and beyond for people in this country and others,鈥 Richardson said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 humbling. It makes you feel like there are still good people on this earth.鈥Dr. Andrew Wright, professor of systems engineering, and Dr. Lakeshia Jones, assistant professor of mathematics and statistics, have served as her mentors at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock.鈥淭hey were some of the first faces I saw my freshman year, and they made an impression on me,鈥 Richardson said. 鈥淭hey helped me transition from high school to an adult. I want to be just as successful as they are.鈥In July, Richardson got engaged to fellow 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock student Corwin Briton, a criminal justice major, whom she met during her cousin鈥檚 graduation from eStem High School.To Richardson, the future is clear. She will begin the new year with a full-time position at 尝’翱谤茅补濒聽and marry her fianc茅 in 2019. She is also looking forward to attending a mission trip with her church, Saint Mark Baptist Church. After a year, she plans to begin the Master of Business Administration program at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock.