In defiance of popular stereotypes, women in engineering increase in numbers
By Lauren Seynhaeve
The stereotypical engineer is a white, geeky male with pocket protectors, according to mechanical engineering professor Deborah Schenberger. But engineers aren't all like that, and Shenberger hopes to help lift that stigma and get more girls and young women interested in the field.
After working for a number of years in robotics, building products like dinosaurs for the Jurassic Park ride at Universal Studios, at NASA in the mechanical systems and controls branch and later working with orthopedic medical devices, Schenberger went back to school in 2000 to get her Ph.D. and to teach.
"I went back to get my doctorate because I wanted to be a role model and set an example," she said.
She was the only female in her graduating class. Now, Schenberger is the only female mechanical engineering professor at UP, and she regularly works with FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology), a program meant to spark younger children's interest in engineering.
At about 20 percent female engineering enrollment, UP is doing well compared to other schools but the numbers could still be higher.
Schenberger believes that women want a career that can make a tangible difference in people's lives, and engineering isn't necessarily known for that, so most women try to help people with careers in something like nursing or education.
"Maybe they just don't see that they can be helping people," she said. "But engineering helps more people than any of those because you're building products that people use every day."
Senior Stephanie Niezgoda, a mechanical engineering major, enjoys being an engineer, even though she is one of the few females in the program.
"I don't think anyone really notices I'm a girl anymore," she joked. "People get used to it, and after a while you have classes with the same people."
Niezgoda has received various scholarships for being a female engineer, and she believes that being a woman is generally beneficial. UP has presented her with opportunities to be the "female face of engineering" and she enjoys that she is given such chances.
"It makes you stand out a little bit more," she said. "At the same time, people are surprised and there's some discrimination, especially with older generations, but so far for me it's been mostly advantageous."
Junior mechanical engineering major Natalie Higgins agrees that being a woman in the engineering field is helpful.
"I feel like being in the minority is empowering - you're more self-confident when you're at a disadvantage," she said. "And it's easier to get a job as a female, since places have to fill certain demographics."
Junior mechanical engineering major Madeline Alanko has also grown accustomed to the unbalanced gender ratio, and she doesn't mind it overall.
"It's definitely weird having most of your classes filled with guys, especially in my field where there's only one female professor," she said. "But I'm used to it."
Schenberger has noticed that when women are engineers, they tend to focus on bio-mechanical or civil engineering, since those paths best allow for helping people. She said that although math and science can be intimidating, the rewards of working as an engineer can be great.
Freshman electrical engineering major Alicia Gaghan hopes to make either prosthetics or medical equipment after earning her degree.
"If not an engineer, I'd probably want to be a surgeon, so this is the best of both worlds," she said.
Although engineering is a male-dominated field, many of the women who are engineers either enjoy the company or haven't noticed a big problem as the minority group.
"I've always been a tomboy, so being around dudes is really not a problem," Gaghan said.
Both Niezgoda and Higgins agree that it's not a big deal to be one of the few women in engineering, and have enjoyed their experiences so far.
"I think that the most important thing is that they (women) choose a major where they feel like they can make a difference in the world, and engineering is an opportunity for them to make a difference on a global scale," Schenberger said. "I think we need to change the message that not just female students are getting - that it's not hard, it's exciting and fun."
