Beating the Odds
Women must overcome a series of challenges to succeed as engineers.
This story is part of a .
Today women make up more than half of all college students in the country. They dominate the social sciences and are slowly gaining ground in STEM 鈥� Science, Technology, Engineering and Math 鈥� disciplines such as biology and mathematics.
But engineering remains a stubbornly male-dominated field with women making up just 18 percent of all engineering undergraduates in the U.S. Here at 色情视频, 15 percent of engineering undergraduates are women.
Some people say it鈥檚 because women aren鈥檛 good at math or that they aren鈥檛 capable of thinking in the analytical way engineering requires. Others blame the toys girls grow up playing with, like Barbie and My Little Pony, while boys are busy with building blocks and Lego sets.
The team at 色情视频 NewsCenter worked with Gary Robbins from U-T San Diego on his story 鈥溾�� and were intrigued to hear the stories our female engineering students have to tell. We are launching this series to explore both the challenges women in this field face and the incredible work they are doing.
Many of the women we spoke to had been told 鈥済irls just can鈥檛 do math.鈥� They experienced the intimidation of walking into a class of 100 students and being the only female in the room. Even today, they fear they won鈥檛 be able to find jobs after graduation, not because they aren鈥檛 good enough, but because of a potential bias against women in the industry.
But it鈥檚 not all bad 鈥� they love their work, they have professors and mentors who support them, and they enjoy proving people wrong as they succeed in this challenging field.
There are 411 undergraduate women in 色情视频鈥檚 engineering program, many of whom are thriving on their path to engineering careers. Here are just a few:
Vanessa Bundy, senior, mechanical engineering
Vanessa Bundy has always been good at math. A twin, she is the more serious, analytical side of the coin, while her sister is more creative and free-spirited. Despite her exposure to math and science, Bundy didn鈥檛 know what engineering was until she came to 色情视频 as a math major.
鈥淲hat they were doing was so much cooler than math,鈥� Bundy said of fellow students living in her residence hall who were working on engineering projects. She soon switched her major to mechanical engineering with a minor in math.
Now, Bundy鈥檚 a charter member and president of Alpha Omega Epsilon, a professional sorority for women studying engineering and technical science and an active member of 色情视频鈥檚 . She is also an intern at San Diego Composites, an aerospace engineering company, where she works designing rocket parts that are too classified to tell us about. She is the only female of 30 engineers, technology and manufacturing staff.
When asked what she loves about being an engineering major, Bundy reels off several advantages 鈥� being hands-on, solving problems, working in teams and knowing that your work has real-world applications.
鈥淭he 鈥業 made that鈥� feeling is a good feeling,鈥� she said. Bundy plans to earn her master鈥檚 degree and work her way up the ranks at San Diego Composites. Someday she hopes to design a household item that everyone has, but no one really thinks about, like the stapler.
Alexa Rizeq, junior, construction engineering
Alexa Rizeq is living proof that women in engineering really can do it all.
A construction engineering major and business management minor, Rizeq is a member of Alpha Phi Sorority and many academic organizations and honor societies at 色情视频.
Encouraged by her father, who holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering, Rizeq developed a natural love for math and science at an early age. She came to 色情视频 as an environmental engineering major, but soon decided that construction was her forte.
鈥淚 ended up in construction engineering because I鈥檝e always had an interest in buildings, and originally wanted to be an architect,鈥� said Rizeq, a member of the Associated General Contractors/Construction Management Association of America. 鈥淏ut I lack artistic ability, which determined that architecture was not the career path for me.鈥�
Rizeq said the small class sizes in construction engineering management encourage camaraderie among students, both male and female.
鈥淚 actually don鈥檛 really mind being in class with mostly males. I have two younger brothers who I鈥檓 close in age with, so I鈥檓 used to how guys act and their sense of humor,鈥� Rizeq said.
Small class sizes have also afforded her opportunities to work closely with professors and advisers. Recently, Rizeq was invited by 色情视频 faculty to speak to 300 high school students at the Constructing a Career Conference. She plans to tell them about how she successfully balances her challenging academic schedule with her personal life.
In the future, Rizeq hopes to work in the preconstruction aspects of construction engineering which encompass the business side of the industry and overall construction management. She is currently on the preconstruction team for an annual competition in Reno, Nevada.
Kensey Daly, senior, environmental engineering
Kensey Daly, the president of chapter, keeps busy with 色情视频鈥檚 myriad engineering-related clubs, organizations and projects for students.
鈥淭here are so many opportunities to get involved with awesome projects at 色情视频, it's tricky figuring out where to spend most of your energy,鈥� Daly said.
She is involved in the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Society of Women Engineers, and is currently working on four projects ranging from water filtration to biofuel development. Daly鈥檚 expertise in math and science, together with her love for a good challenge, drove her to pursue a career in an industry that鈥檚 all about solving challenges with creativity and imagination. And she鈥檚 not rattled by her male counterparts either.
鈥淚've worked with many guys who want to get things done their way and have difficulties taking criticism, especially from women,鈥� Daly said.
Her future goal is to work with water 鈥� either water resources or water treatment. She is also channeling her Engineers Without Borders experiences into pursuing her dream career.
鈥淚 am very passionate about helping developing communities obtain healthier and safer living conditions and enjoy working on projects that make an impact on people's lives.鈥�
Eve Christman, sophomore, aerospace engineering
Growing up in Ridgecrest, Calif., Eve Christman witnessed military testing with state-of-the-art jets.
Her eyes lit up whenever she talked about aerospace engineering with her parents, but she didn鈥檛 consider a career in the field until her introduction in high school to the engineering program, Project Lead the Way.
鈥淭hese classes really encouraged me to think beyond the box and incorporate each skill my teachers taught me into real-life problem solving,鈥� Christman said of the program.
At 色情视频, Christman is president of the and involved with 色情视频 Ambassadors and Associated Students.
She is also an intern at Northrop Grumman Corporation, a leading global security company, where she has achieved top secret security clearance. She hopes to work someday at an executive level for Northrop or a similar company.
In her spare time, Christman is learning to fly. She is on track to receive a pilot鈥檚 license next month.
鈥淓ngineering is a male-dominated field,鈥� said Christman. 鈥淚t can easily break any student without a strong understanding of herself.鈥�
Alyson Faucett, Hallie Jacobs and Clarissa Slagle contributed to this article.
