Women graduating in the field of engineering are few and far between, particularly in Utah.
Nationally, about 18 percent of engineering graduates are women while in Utah it is about 12 percent. At Utah State University, women account for about 9 percent of engineering graduates, and the college of engineering is taking note.
Professor Chris Hailey, Associate Dean of USU's College of Engineering, says, "Whenever numbers are so disproportionate, as is the case in our college in regards to women, questions of 'Do I belong here?' naturally arise. The problem lies within the field of engineering, and we have to work to change it."
A minority herself as a female professor in the college, Hailey has been teaching a one credit class for freshman the past few years called Women in Engineering. The class focuses on understanding what it is like to be a female student in engineering where they are a super-minority. The idea is to give students a better understanding of what engineers actually do and what career possibilities there are with the degree. Cache Valley Daily
To see Part 1, click here.
