Women in engineering are underrepresented. In 2019 only 15.9% of engineers were female. Current trends aren’t sufficient either, with females making up only 17% of engineering majors higher nationwide. The College of Engineering boasts a comparatively high share of female students, with women making up 37% of the engineering student body. This reflects work being done college-wide by faculty and students towards breaking gender barriers in the field.
On April 3, the College of Engineering hosted "Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day" where female high school students from Miami-Dade County were invited on campus to enjoy immersive engineering activities. Research shows that events like these help girls build confidence in their problem-solving skills and pique their interest in the field.
The day was carefully curated by Nicole Rodriguez, Alexandra Bothe, and Izzy Pepdjonovic from the campus chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) working closely with their faculty mentor, Ines Basalo, associate professor of professional practice in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
More than 60 girls from six different high schools—Miami Norland Senior High, Downtown Doral Charter Upper School, Our Lady of Lourdes Academy, Immaculata-La Salle High School, Westminster Christian School, and American Heritage School—filled the hallways of the Shalala Student Center, walking from activity to activity and using their problem-solving skills to think like an engineer. They did everything from building a paper plane to study how far it could fly, to building a functional bridge using only marshmallows and sticks.
"Events like these give girls the opportunity to see themselves as the future of engineering,” said Basalo. “We want girls to understand that they can make world-changing impacts as engineers.”
The day also included an "Ask an Engineer” panel, where College of Engineering students answered questions from high school girls. SWE members led the panel, incorporating undergraduate and graduate panelists from across the College’s disciplines.
Alexandra Bothe, a sophomore in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and SWE event coordinator, said, “A lot of girls hear ‘engineer’ and don’t even consider it as an option for them.” She encouraged the room filled with high school girls to see themselves as engineers. “I get it,” she said. “It's hard to be in spaces that are 70-90% male, which is why organizations like SWE are so helpful. They empower women in engineering to be recognized for their contributions." Toward the end of her presentation, she reminded them, "You can do this. You can be an engineer. Don't be afraid to take up space in academia, in the workplace, and in life."
High school senior Olivia Macintosh particularly enjoyed touring the College’s Maker Space. "It was so cool to see how 3D printers work,” she said. “It really feels like the College provides the resources students need.” She has plans to become a teacher, but the active problem-solving involved in the bridge-building exercise made her consider a future in engineering.
High school junior Nicole Hernandez said the event made her “strongly consider going into engineering. I really liked the challenges today and the supportive environment.”
