MSU summer programs link young women to engineering careers
June 7, 2004
STARKVILLE, Miss.–Two programs designed to attract young women to engineering careers are scheduled on the Mississippi State campus this summer.
Women in Action, a residential program for seventh- and eighth-graders, features four-day sessions June 9-12 and July 21-24.
WISE Women, a July 11-17 residential program for females in grades 9-11, includes, among others, the “Cinderella Project,” a shoe design activity that stresses engineering processes. Though the application deadline has passed, some slots remain open for this program.
“Both programs are designed to pique the interest of girls who like science and math, and get them thinking about careers in engineering,” said Emma Seiler, coordinator of educational outreach and student programs for the sponsoring Bagley College of Engineering.
“The engineering workforce is less than 10 percent women and undergraduates in engineering are less than 20 percent women,” said engineering dean A. Wayne Bennett.
Seiler said both MSU programs feature hands-on activities, laboratory investigations and engineering presentations that enable 30 academically talented participants in each session to develop an understanding of and appreciation for the diverse engineering disciplines.
Women in Action was initiated in 1993 by the engineering college and the campus chapter of the Society of Women Engineers. WISE Women was launched in 2001.
Departments within the college include aerospace engineering, biological engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer science and engineering, electrical and computer engineering, industrial engineering, and mechanical engineering.
“We try to stress the importance of what math and science classes to take in high school to prepare them for the engineering curriculum,” said Seiler. “Like other summer programs, the participants stay on campus in a residence hall and get to see a little of what life on campus is like.”
For more information on both programs or to apply for the remaining WISE Women slots, contact Emma Seiler.