Arden Servidio ’17 M.Eng. ’17 Engineers Change for Women

Arden Servidio ’17 M.Eng. ’17 has always had a passion for problem solving and innovation. And for as long as she can remember, she’s had an interest in healthcare too. “Biomedical engineering brings all of those elements together,” she says.

At Stevens, Servidio found she could pursue her major in an environment defined by the highest academic quality as well as a close-knit community. She approached her studies with intensity, enrolling in the five-year co-op track that would lead to a master’s degree in mechanical engineering as well as a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering along with five semesters worth of work experience by the time she graduated in 2017.

“I loved the intensity of the program,” she says. “The immersion into industry teaches you how work actually gets done and prepares you to collaborate across functions – something you don’t fully understand until you experience it firsthand.”

During her time as an undergraduate at Stevens, Servidio competed on the women’s varsity tennis team. She also served on the Stevens Athletics Advisory Committee and volunteered annually as a peer mentor for first-year students. “I really enjoyed planning activities and encouraging students to take advantage of the many support systems Stevens offers,” she says. “It reinforced how important community and mentorship are to student success.”

Following graduation, Servidio continued her education while working full time in production and quality management in the beauty industry, enrolling in a part-time MBA program at The Raymond A. Mason School of Business at The College of William & Mary, which she completed in 2022.

In 2023, she moved to the pharmaceutical industry where she leads quality strategy, complaint management and customer success for key pharmaceutical accounts. Her professional expertise spans process, cleaning and disinfection validations; complaint management; change control; Lean Six Sigma; industrial hygiene; quality assurance; and production and operations management.

Servidio has also contributed to academic and professional publications. Her work includes a chapter on supply chain resilience during the global pandemic in Change Dynamics in Healthcare, Technological Innovations, and Complex Scenarios, as well as research on auditing and feedback in organizational change published in Innovations, Securities, and Case Studies Across Healthcare, Business, and Technology.

One topic she is particularly passionate about – retaining women in engineering careers – has become the focus of her doctoral research at Marymount University’s College of Business, Innovation, Leadership, and Technology.

“There are leaks in the pipeline of women engineers,” Servidio says. “I want to understand why some women leave engineering programs before they complete their degrees, and why some who graduate walk away early in their careers. What can we, as universities and industry leaders, do to improve retention? One of the factors I will be considering is the impact of early immersion in engineering through family influence or pre-college immersion programs.”

Her research challenges common assumptions about women in STEM. “Once you disaggregate STEM by discipline, you start to see very different gender patterns,” she explains. “For example, gender representation in chemical engineering looks very different from electrical or mechanical engineering.”

Servidio credits Stevens with preparing her to ask – and tackle – complex questions. “The technical foundation you gain at Stevens builds real confidence in problem solving,” she says. “Exposure to disciplines outside your major and opportunities to collaborate across fields prepare you to navigate ambiguity and lead in diverse environments.”

She remains actively engaged with the Stevens community through the Stevens Alumni Association, accepted student days and move-in events. “I enjoy learning about students’ goals and sharing insight when I can,” she says. “For students and families – especially those new to higher education – it’s incredibly valuable to understand how cooperative education opportunities, internships, research, athletics and campus involvement can shape both careers and confidence.”