Barbara Kerr Beckmann: Senior Associate, ExxonMobil
Barbara Kerr Beckmann became the first female engineering graduate at the University of Mississippi and has spent 60 years with the company that became ExxonMobil.
Barbara Kerr Beckmann became the first female engineering graduate at the University of Mississippi when she completed a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering in 1961. Ms. Beckmann was hired by Humble Oil and Refining Co. as a computer analyst, after being rejected from numerous interviews for being a woman.
Ms. Beckmann spent seven years developing a number of simulation programs and serving as an adviser on the development of many key technical and analytical programs in her role as a computer analyst. Though still early in her career, developing and testing software, particularly running simulations, gave Ms. Beckmann a better understanding of the refinery process than many engineers who had been in the field longer than her. Ms. Beckmann strived to stay positive and look for opportunities for professional growth, describing her philosophy as “being there to do a job, and to do it well.”
Ms. Beckmann moved from her computer analyst role into an engineering position, capitalizing on her comprehensive background knowledge of refinery processes and optimization. She remained with the company after it was purchased by ESSO, and through a series of leadership changes that led to a rebrand as Exxon, and the 1999 merger that created ExxonMobil. Currently, she acts as a senior economic adviser for the company, focusing on planning and optimization based out of the company’s Baton Rouge, Louisiana, branch. In 2021, she celebrated her 60th anniversary with the company.
Ms. Beckmann mentors young professionals and engineering students. She advises students to find what they enjoy about the discipline and focus on it, and counsels early career professionals. In recognition of her breakthrough contributions to engineering and the energy industry, Ms. Beckmann was named one of the American Business Learner’s Association’s Top 10 People and presented with a YWCA Trailblazer Award and a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Mississippi. She is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and remains an active volunteer with the United Way, the Kiwanis Club, and her local church, where she serves as treasurer.
