‘SERVE OTHERS AND BE AN ADVOCATE’

Emberle Pearson ’13 ME carries Villanova’s service-driven mission into leadership in the US Department of Defense

By Queen Muse

Emberle Pearson ’13 ME came to Villanova with a plan. She’d been accepted into the Biology program through early action and initially thought she’d pursue a career in physical therapy. But a chance conversation during an Early Action Acceptance Day visit put her on a different path.

Pearson was discussing her interests in science and math with a faculty member when the professor suggested that she might be better suited for engineering. The faculty member walked Pearson across campus to the College of Engineering, where she met Dean Gary A. Gabriele, PhD, who led the College from 2006 until his death in 2018. After a day touring labs and learning about the real-world impact of engineering, Pearson made a decision that would shape the rest of her career.

“That day, I changed my major from Biology to Mechanical Engineering,” Pearson recalls. “Hearing how we could use math and science to solve real-world problems, there was an excitement that I couldn’t even explain. … It felt meaningful; it felt like fulfillment.”

That sense of purpose has continued to guide Pearson’s career. She recently transitioned from director of workforce operations to chief of staff at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) in Lakehurst, N.J. In this role, Pearson advises senior leaders and helps coordinate strategy, workforce initiatives and organizational priorities that support the US Navy’s aviation missions within the Department of Defense.

Pearson is guided by a people-first approach, a leadership philosophy she attributes to her time at Villanova.

“It wasn’t just about getting a degree at Villanova,” she explains. “They were teaching us how to become individuals who give back to the community.”

Service opportunities, campus ministry and outreach programs reinforced the values that Pearson was raised with and encouraged her and other students to engage with the broader community. The experience inspired her to “serve others and be an advocate,” a mindset that continues to shape her work.

Previously, as a workforce development leader, Pearson aimed to put those values into action. She led an entry-level employee development program at NAWCAD that fostered mentorship, community and opportunities for young engineers at the beginning of their careers.

The results were powerful. In the four years Pearson led the program, the center’s attrition rate dropped from 25% to less than 1%; employees across the organization saw faster career growth and became more engaged. Pearson has also worked to expand engineering opportunities for underrepresented groups. At NAWCAD, she’s launched recruitment initiatives with historically Black colleges and universities to increase diversity in technical roles and helped launch STEM programming for students in an underserved school district.

Pearson’s efforts have earned her widespread recognition in her field. She has been honored as a Women of Color in STEM awardee, a Rising Star in Technology and a member of the 40 Under 40 list, all from the Career Communications Group. She was also named NAWCAD Lakehurst Supervisor of the Year and, in 2025, received Villanova Engineering’s Gary A. Gabriele Memorial Award, named after the late dean who gave her her first introduction to engineering on that impromptu Early Action Day tour. The award recognizes alumni who promote equity in the field of engineering.

For Pearson, however, those honors are less important than the people she helps along the way.

“It’s not about the accolade, but the fact that a difference has been made and that it was tangible for people to see,” she says. “I’m not aspiring to a certain position or role. I’m asking myself, ‘What positive impact can I make on people?’ That’s my true focus.”