Ruthie D. Lyle, PhD: Master Inventor

Ruthie D. Lyle, Ph.D. is an American electrical engineer. She is currently a Principal Technical Patent Architect at NVIDIA, an American technology company and global leader in Artificial Intelligence (AI) computing.[1] She also works as a Patent Consultant, assisting numerous companies and institutions. Dr. Lyle’s career so far is made up of a string of achievements and she now mentors young budding engineers. In recent years she has been an active ambassador for Black Girls Code, a non-profit organization which focuses on encouraging young girls of color to pursue education and careers in STEM. She also works on several projects as a public speaker, introducing young people – particularly those from marginalized and underserved communities – to STEM subjects and patents.[2]

Dr. Lyle found a love of engineering when enrolled on an engineering preparation program in high school. She enjoyed having to think logically to solve problems, and “found math and science to be rewarding subjects.”[3] Dr. Lyle’s family championed education. Though her father never got the opportunity to attend college, he engaged in educational programs throughout his service in the Air Force. Her mother has multiple graduate degrees, is an educator herself and is currently in seminary school. They both encouraged Ruthie and her two sisters to pursue their education – all three of them went on to do PhDs.[4] Lyle completed a BS in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University and both an MS in Electro physics and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Polytechnic University (now called the Polytechnic Institute of New York University). She was the first African American woman to have earned a doctorate in electrical engineering in Polytechnic’s 145-year history.

In 1999, Dr. Lyle joined a technology company called International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) as a patent engineer. She is responsible for helping to leverage IBM’s Patent Portfolio, meaning she uses analyses the patent data and uses her findings to suggest improvements.[5] She is also one of the few women to have been named one of IBM’s Master Inventor.

Between 2018 and 2020, Dr. Lyle was a lead research engineer at USAA, a financial company that provides Military personnel and their families in the US with security and well-being.[6] She described USAA as, “a very innovative company,” explaining, “some of the products and services that are now commonplace in banking, such as the ability to deposit a cheque remotely, had their genesis there, in the needs of the military community.”[7]

Now at NVIDIA, Dr. Lyle not only serves as a Principal Technical Patent Architect, but provides patent training and brainstorming workshops, as well as working on a number of the company’s programs. She leads the Pathways to AI Program, providing employees seeking to expand their knowledge and skills in AI with various opportunities to learn, as well as the Diversity in Inventorship initiative, working to ensure that people from underrepresented communities in technology are represented within NVIDIA’s workforce.[8]

In the past, Dr. Lyle has explained that her career path is fluid, noting, “I’ve completed only a part of my journey, and I’m looking forward to the growth and adventure that the next part might bring.”[9] As well as focusing on her own endeavors though, Dr. Lyle aims to support young aspiring engineers, engaging in work with Black Girls Code and EngineerGirl. She advises young women who want to pursue careers in engineering 

Any young woman considering a career in engineering is on the right track. I’d want her to know that if she decides to pursue law, medicine or some other career, that having an engineering background is the best preparation that she can get. The final comments I would share are that we live in changing times, be flexible in your career and work hard to develop and maintain a balance between work and life. If you start out early achieving, it makes everything easy down the road.[10]

Ruthie D. Lyle, Ph.D. is an inspiration and role model, particularly to young women wanting to pursue education or careers in STEM.