Maureen (Short) August is a Lab Group Manager at General Motors Research and Development. She has a background in the military, having graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and served as an Engineer Officer in the U.S. Army. She later worked as a Senior Systems Engineer and Director of Curriculum for the Army's Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness Program.
At General Motors, Maureen has held various roles, including being a human factors expert in Safety, a capture manager for GM Defense, and currently, she focuses on information display and simulation. She holds advanced degrees, including an MS in Engineering Management from Missouri S&T, an ME in Systems Engineering from the University of Virginia, and a PhD in Systems and Engineering Management from Texas Tech University.

The Pop in Your Job – What drives you? Why do you love your job?
I love having an impact on people’s lives. The ability to improve the safety, trust, and comfort for our customers is something that drives our work at GM. Working with smart people who are passionate about making our customer’s lives better is our driving force.

General Motors’ vision is to create a world with Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions and Zero Congestion, and we have committed ourselves to leading the way toward this future. Today, we are in the midst of a transportation revolution, and we have the ambition, the talent and the technology to realize the safer, better and more sustainable world we want. As an open, inclusive company, we’re also creating an environment where everyone feels welcomed and valued for who they are. One team, where all ideas are considered and heard, where everyone can contribute to their fullest potential, with a culture based in respect, integrity, accountability and equality. Our team brings wide-ranging perspectives and experiences to solving the complex transportation challenges of today and tomorrow.