One class at a time: How Wayne State helped Shannon Dare Wayne turn determination into opportunity

Shannon Dare Wayne celebrates at her commencement ceremony in the WSU Fieldhouse with industrial and systems engineering professor Ratna Babu Chinna, one of the mentors she credits with having the greatest impact on her decade as a graduate student.

When Shannon Dare Wayne enrolled at Wayne State University, she wasn't looking for another diploma.

She was looking for an opportunity.

Working full time at Ford Motor Company while raising two young children, Wayne had reached a turning point in her career. Although she had already earned bachelor's and master's degrees in business-related fields, she was told that without an engineering degree, her career advancement had essentially stalled.

For many professionals, that realization might have marked the end of the road.

For Wayne, it became the beginning of a new one.

Wayne State's commitment to expanding opportunity for working professionals gave Wayne a pathway to continue her education without putting her career or family on hold. The flexibility of the Global Executive Track (GET) Ph.D. program in the James and Patricia Anderson College of Engineering made it possible for her to pursue a doctorate while continuing to work full time and raise her children. It was a life-changing opportunity that opened doors to new leadership roles and public service.

"I've got two kids at home. I can't sit in a classroom," she recalled thinking. "The program was unique because I could balance being a mother, working full time, and earning my master's and Ph.D. in engineering."

While the program was designed for students to take three courses at a time, Wayne intentionally enrolled in just one class each semester. The slower pace allowed her to balance classes with a full-time career while raising a growing family, including welcoming her third child during the program.

Wayne State graduate Shannon Dare Wayne poses outside the David Adamany Undergraduate Library with her husband, Kevin Wayne, and their daughter, Mary-Kate Wayne, who will begin her freshman year at Wayne State this fall as a member of the women's swim team.

Along the way, she and her husband, Kevin Wayne, raised three children - Flannery, Mary-Kate and Kevin - while she steadily worked toward her doctorate. This fall, the family's Wayne State connection will continue as Mary-Kate begins classes and plans to study nursing while competing on the Warriors women's swimming team.

It took Wayne a decade to earn her doctorate because she refused to sacrifice her family or career to achieve it.

"I tell people, if you go to school for 30 years, one class at a time, you get a bachelor's, three master's degrees and a Ph.D.," she said with a laugh.

Today, Wayne serves as a senior manager in global quality at Ford Motor Company, where she has spent more than two decades in leadership roles spanning manufacturing, engineering and global strategy. Throughout her career, she has also mentored young professionals, particularly women pursuing engineering careers.

Wayne credits Wayne State with helping her develop the technical expertise and leadership perspective that continues to shape her career. Among those who had the greatest impact were industrial and systems engineering professor Ratna Babu Chinnam, who led the GET program and chaired her dissertation committee, and Julia Gluesing, a business and organizational anthropologist and research professor who broadened her understanding of leadership, culture and the human side of engineering.

"What she brought to that Ph.D. program was invaluable," said Wayne, who graduated from WSU in 2020 with a master's in manufacturing engineering and a doctorate in industrial engineering. "It expanded from the engineering side but also integrated cultural understanding and relating to others. Those were the elements that were critical to success at a higher level."

Another influential faculty member was professor emeritus Ken Chelst, whose risk management course continues to shape how Wayne approaches decision-making.

Shannon Dare Wayne celebrates with her daughter, Mary-Kate Wayne, at Milan High School after Mary-Kate signed her National Letter of Intent to swim for Wayne State University's women's swim team.

"The engineering helps with a systems approach in my thinking," she said. "Risk management helps bring the thinking to another level."

Wayne's commitment to public service extends well beyond the workplace. In 2025, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed Wayne to the Michigan Technological University Board of Trustees, where she helps guide one of the nation's R1 research universities. Closer to home, she serves on the Milan City Council, and this November, her name will appear on the general election ballot as a candidate for Michigan's 31st House District.

Beyond the classroom, Wayne State reinforced something Wayne now shares with every aspiring engineer she mentors: don't be afraid to ask for help.

"I didn't realize how helpful the professors and the school wanted to be," she said. "The university's on your side. They want you to be successful."

She encourages students to take advantage of tutoring, mentoring and networking opportunities before becoming discouraged by challenging courses. Throughout her career, she has carried that philosophy forward by mentoring young professionals and encouraging women to pursue engineering careers.

"I tell students, don't underestimate yourself," she said. "You absolutely can achieve whatever you desire if you put your mind to it."

Looking back, Wayne says her greatest accomplishment isn't a promotion or title, but her determination to keep learning.

"I think it's the tenacity and the ability to continue school while achieving professional goals," she said. "The academic achievements probably even mean more to me."

For Wayne, Wayne State provided a pathway to new opportunities, proving that perseverance, flexibility and the support of dedicated faculty can help even the busiest working professionals transform their careers - one class at a time.