Dr. Sania Irwin serves on the Boards of the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) and the League of Women Voters Education Fund (LWVEF). She joined her local League in Glen Ellyn (Illinois) in 2018. She spearheaded the nonpartisan Get Out The Vote (GOTV) effort the same year, positively impacting voter participation in low-turnout precincts by 5 percentage points. An active and respected civic leader, she has organized forums and town halls tackling topics such as money in politics, freedom of the press, health care, education, immigration, etc., that inform voters and inspire participation.
Sania is co-founder and president of One Community, a 501(c)(3) social justice nonprofit, which aims to raise awareness, acceptance, and involvement of neighbors of all backgrounds. The organization focuses on policies, programs, and actions that build community through meaningful relationships and deeper understanding across diverse community members. It has developed strong partnerships with other civic and educational institutions toward its mission work. It hosts a Conversations on Race series, was the key proponent behind adopting a local Welcoming Community Resolution, and successfully advocated for establishing a Community Relations Commission (CRC). Sania also serves as the Chairperson of the CRC, which has led the effort in instituting a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Policy and Lens, has created a DEI Resource Guide, launched a Did You Know Series highlighting the contributions of the diverse people of this country, and has established partnerships with libraries and colleges for community programming.
Passionate about education, Sania serves on Northwestern University’s Industrial Engineering & Management Sciences Advisory Board, which provides guidance on academic programs and accreditation and facilitates student mentoring and alumni involvement.
Dr. Irwin is an accomplished technology executive. She is the senior vice president of Engineering & Impact at EagleRail Container Logistics, where she is responsible for corporate purpose and mission-aligned intelligent, data-driven automation solutions. She has previously held various senior executive and technology positions at Motorola, Nokia, General Motors, and Xerox.
Sania is the recipient of the 2020 Adade Wheeler Woman of Distinction Award, which recognizes significant contributions by an individual to the personal and professional advancement of women through education, advocacy, and mentoring.
Dr. Irwin earned her Bachelor of Arts degree (Magna Cum Laude) in Computer Science and Mathematics from University of Rochester, and Master of Science and PhD degrees in Industrial Engineering / Electrical Engineering from Northwestern University. She holds US patents, has served as rapporteur of industry standards, and has spoken at numerous professional conferences.
Sania lives with her family in the Chicago suburbs, enjoys distance running, and loves to travel.