The Society of Women Engineers

SWE-MN Girl Scout Path DayNovember 14, 2015

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Introducing…Elizabeth Bierman

• Why I became an Engineer: I had a love for space as a child.

• What I do that makes a difference: I work on commercial navigation that get people to their destinations safely and accurately.

Principal Systems Engineer for

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Introducing…Lynn Davenport

• Why I became an Engineer: I grew up in a college town where I saw engineers all around me. I excelled at science and math and saw engineering as a way to positively help more people than being a doctor.

• What I do that makes a difference: I design medical products that restore health, alleviate pain and extend life.

Principal Systems Engineer for

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Introducing…Angela Statz

• Why I became an Engineer: I wanted to work with a team on creating products to help people in their life activities.

• What I do that makes a difference: I manufacture brightness enhancement films used daily in LCD products or films to direct light efficiently.

Product Engineer Supervisor for

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Introducing…Allison Pedersen

• Why I became an Engineer: I enjoyed math and science and my parents encouraged me.

• What I do that makes a difference: I design an aircraft product that tells the pilot how high and how fast the plane is flying.

Engineering Manager for

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Society of Women Engineers

• World’s largest advocate and catalyst for change for women in engineering and technology

• Helps members reach their full potential as engineers and leaders through networking, professional development and the shaping of public policy

• Inspires young girls to become engineers and supports them with scholarships

What is SWE?

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Parents as Influencers

• Mom and/or Dad are consistently rated as the top influencers in teen’s decisions– Most critical messages children receive come from what they see and

hear at home – Family is the dominant influence behind college choices and degree

plans

• Don’t underestimate the influence you have over your daughter’s decisions!

• NSF, Sloan Foundation, & National Student Engagement Study

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Encouraging girls interest

• Take an interest in what girls are learning in STEM classes• Build your daughter's technological mastery by:

– Visiting science museums– Signing her up for STEM related camps– Buying her a subscription to Popular Mechanics or a computer

magazine

• Encourage your daughter to take advantage of:– Volunteer opportunities – Internships

• Take your daughter to work– Find a female mentor in the STEM field

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Don’t Stress About High School Courses

• Basic 4 years of Math and Science• AP courses and Honors courses should not be pushed• Don’t over-emphasize grades• Better to be in band, play softball, & volunteer than graduate with

credit in 4 AP courses

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Supporting Collegiate Academic Decisions

• Reasonable Course Load• Progress that is steady• It may take more than four years for an engineering degree• Dropping Classes is normal• Grades may be low in the beginning and go up in 3rd and 4th

years (even for C students)

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The Engineering Situation

• What do the numbers tell us? – Women currently comprise nearly 60% of all college students, but only

(ASEE 2008), but only 18 percent of engineering undergraduates– Only 5% of college students are studying engineering compared to:o 10-12% of college students in Europeo 43% of college students in China’

• Why?– Not a good understanding by society as a whole of what engineers do

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What do Engineers Actually Do?

Wow, Engineers Touch Everything!

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What will Engineers Do in the Future?

• Make Solar Energy Economical – Solar energy provides less than 1% of the world's total energy, but it

has the potential to provide much, much more.

• Reverse-Engineer the Brain – The intersection of engineering and neuroscience promises great

advances in health care, manufacturing, and communication.

• Restore and Improve Urban Infrastructure – Good design and advanced materials can improve transportation and

energy, water, and waste systems, and also create more sustainable urban environments.

http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/

NAE Grand Challenges for Engineering

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Why Engineering?Most Lucrative College Degrees http://money.cnn.com/2009/07/24/news/economy/highest_starting_salaries/index.htm

PayScale College Salary Report http://www.payscale.com/best-colleges/degrees.asp

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Why Engineering?

• Starting salaries for BS engineers range between $55-$66,000/year– Women in non-traditional careers have lifetime earnings that are 150%

of women who choose traditional careers

• Engineers make huge contributions to society (roads, airplanes, medical devices, TVs, food) – Roughly half of the consumers of goods/services are female

• Women on the whole have in greater amounts the attributes and skills that make good engineers – Better communication skills– Work well in teams– More democratic management styles– Tend toward a more global context vs. narrowly focused

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Engineering Degree Opens Doors

• Vast potential for growth and a wide variety of opportunities • There are plenty of jobs, options galore• An engineering degree gives the competitive edge:

– MBA, medicine, law, anything!

• Opportunities for advancement into management• The engineering profession wants and welcomes women

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Skills Needed in Engineering

• Teamwork – It is practically impossible for one person to have a broad enough skill

set to know all that is needed to succeed.

• Critical thinking – Being able to cut through all the information and get straight to the core

of the problem without being distracted.

• Understanding cause and effect– Using science, math and visual models to represent what is happening

and what will follow. Asking questions: "what would likely happen if...?“ “why does this…?”

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Skills Needed in Engineering

• Empathy – Need to be able to see things through someone else's eyes.

• Creativity– Thinking “outside the box” involves a transfer of knowledge from one

domain to another domain.

• Communication– The ability to clearly state the problem, to outline the next steps and to

sell your point of view.

• Reframing failure– Failure is often the back door to success – it is often the best

education. Overcome self doubts and stay in the game.

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Compelling Engineering Messages

• Live your life, love what you do. Engineering will challenge you to turn dreams into realities while giving you the chance to travel, work with inspiring people and give back to your community.

• Creativity has its rewards. Women engineers are respected, recognized and financially rewarded for their innovative thinking and creative solutions.

• Make a world of difference. From small villages to big cities, organic farms to mountaintops, deep-sea labs to outer space, women engineers are going where there is the greatest need and making a lasting contribution.

• Explore possibilities. Women engineers often use their skills to go into business, medicine, law, or government. An engineering education will prepare you for many different careers.

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How SWE Can Help

• Teach students that math and science is exciting through hands on activities

• SWENext – Join SWE for free as a student (through age18)• Role models• Information on engineering and colleges• Scholarships• Supporting women through college and throughout their careers

– A student's self-confidence increases when she feels that someone believes in her engineering abilities, cares about her, and wants her to be part of a community o Women's Experiences in College Engineering (WECE) project .

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SWENext

• Up-to-date information about outreach events • Catalog of available scholarships for engineering school• Best practices on applying for scholarships and internships• Eligible to participate in a quarterly webinars on engineering• Resources for families and educators to effectively promote a

career in engineering to girls• And it’s free!!

Why Join?

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SWE Scholarships

• In fiscal year 2015, SWE disbursed more than 220 scholarships valued at more than $660,000 (www.swe.org)

• SWE-Minnesota – In fiscal year 2015, disbursed 14 scholarships valued at $17,000– Provide scholarships for female engineering students attending college

in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. – www.swe-mn.org/scholarships.html

• Certificate of Merit for High School girls– Present junior and senior girls who have completed at least 3 years of

math and science courses with distinction– Nominated by teacher or school counselor– Certificates are presented at school awards ceremonies– www.swe-mn.org/certificate-of-merit.html

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Other websites of interest

www.swe.org

www.swe-mn.org

http://swenext.swe.org/

www.engineeryourlife.org

www.engineeringchallenges.org

www.iseek.org

www.bls.gov

www.nspe.org/resources/media/resources

www.discoverengineering.org/aboutengineers.asp

dsc.discovery.com/convergence/engineering/engineering.html

for this presentationhttp://www.swe-mn.org/parent-resources.html