A project and systems engineer with BAE System's HybriDrive Systems department, Victoria Toujilina led the American Fuel Cell Bus project to successful completion — an effort that has had an incredible impact not only on BAE Systems and the transit industry, but also on the communities in which this zero-emissions fuel cell bus technology is being used. Further, her team's efforts garnered high visibility for the organization both within the Binghamton community and across the nation.
The goal of the American Fuel Cell Bus project was to develop a zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell bus that meets the Federal Transit Administration's "Buy America" requirements. To accomplish this task, BAE Systems gathered a cross-functional engineering and operations team and placed Toujilina in the lead as project engineer. Throughout the proposal, design, development, integration and implementation phases, she worked closely with BAE's partners to ensure a smooth execution of the project. Her long hours and hard work paid of; the project was completed on schedule and under budget. Today, the HybriDrive hybrid fuel cell bus is on the streets of Palm Springs, Calif., as part of SunLine Transit.
Born and raised in Moscow, Russia, Toujilina graduated from Moscow University with a bachelor's degree in linguistics in 1996. Four years later, in September 2000, she immigrated to the United States. Shortly after, Toujilina enrolled in Broome Community College, where she made the dean's list in 2002 and 2003 on her way to obtaining an associate's degree in computer science. Toujilina then went on to earn a bachelor's degree in computer science from Binghamton University in 2004.
During her senior year at Binghamton University, Toujilina performed a co-op with BAE Systems. She was then asked to be part of BAE's Engineering Leadership Development Program. This three-year program focuses on aggressively preparing degreed engineers for excellence in BAE's highly competitive industrial environment. Toujilina successfully graduated from the program in 2007.
An overachiever at heart, Toujilina serves the engineering profession as a member of the Project Management Institute and IEEE Women in Engineering. She also volunteers in local community projects and sponsors children in Indonesia though Plan USA. In addition, she is a certified corporate wellness presenter, as well as a founder and owner of iEatForHealth, a holistic health consulting business.
Transit Technology
"What I enjoy most about working on hybrid bus projects is being the part of the team that works on cutting-edge technology. Pushing the envelope and working on the systems that will define the future of public transportation is both exciting and honorable.
"After working in the HybriDrive team for more than six years I learned about BAE Systems involvement in a new era of public transportation – fuel cell buses. When the opportunity to work on the first "Buy America" fuel cell bus for SunLine Transit presented itself, I jumped on it. As part of this project I had a chance to work with a highly motivated team that went above and beyond to bring this project to fruition. Turning ideas into solutions and struggles into accomplishments lead this team to where we are right now: SunLine's 7th generation zero-emission fuel cell bus running on the streets of Palm Springs!"
