Contributions solicited by the Education Team
The Education Team’s focus for October and November is Equal Access, which encompasses SDG Targets 4.2 & 4.5. Our November ‟Notes from the Field” focus on the ‟E” and ‟M” of STEM Education: Engineering and Math – traditionally fields where girls and women have been discouraged from entering, thereby denying them equal access to a multitude of careers and opportunities. We hope you find this month’s notes inspirational and aspirational!
Susan, partner at Holloman & Morgan, USA:
I don’t know when I realized that my grasp of numbers, science and mechanics was different than that of my schoolmates, but I can recall a couple of experiences that laid the seed for the budding engineer in me.
In fourth grade, I was pulled aside to attend “new math” classes, where I was encouraged to learn math and science at a much faster pace. In my family, which included my siblings (2 girls and 2 boys), we never fell into gender roles. I rebuilt a Chevy engine at 14; my brothers washed dishes. We were encouraged to be the best we could be.
Getting to college took me longer than most, as I had to work my way through. When I finally got to attend a university, my classmates referred to me as the “old lady” because I was much older, but [I] gained respect as I graduated near the top of my class with the highest salary offer of the entire electrical engineering graduating class.
Since then, I have spent almost my entire career in the oil business, where hard work, sharp wit and a sharper tongue helped me survive in this male-dominated industry. Looking back, I often wonder what drove me. Maybe it was revenge? Or I hated to hear the word “no”? I’m not quite sure. What I am sure is that I have no regrets. I am now “one of the good old boys,” and the “old boys” don’t even notice that I’m a girl anymore.
Liz, Senior Lighting Designer, UK:
What I love about being a lighting designer is the beautiful collision of art, science and people. At the age of 14, I went on a two-week work experience. First to a local architectural firm, spending the time folding A1 sheets of paper, and then to Arup, which is a global practice of engineers and designers. I was given the chance to work on real past projects: the most memorable day was designing a foot bridge over a river. The experience taught me two things: firstly, that I was venturing into a male-dominated industry, which was intimidating but also exciting; and secondly, I now knew I really wanted to design buildings.
I studied math, physics and geography at A-Level, as these subjects were recommended for engineering. I am good at math. I enjoy the process, the calculations and the studying to achieve an answer; it makes sense to me. I flunked my final exams in physics and geography, which meant I lost my university place at Bristol, but somehow I managed to get a spot at Leeds through the clearance process. Though devastating at the time, with hindsight this was the best thing that could ever have happened to me.
I worked hard at the University of Leeds: from being accepted into the Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) course, I achieved the grades to transfer to the Master’s (MEng) course. From there I settled into architectural engineering and learned everything from structural engineering to acoustical design and fluid dynamics. I went to Pennsylvania State University during my third year and discovered the wonder and creativity of lighting design. I flipped my failures into a first-class degree, and I got a job at the firm that inspired me at the age of 14.
I have worked at Arup for nine years, based first in Sheffield, then seconded to San Francisco and now in Leeds. I work on lighting designs for small and large-scale projects around the globe across multiple sectors: external nighttime public spaces, commercial interiors and exhibitions, to name a few. I am passionate about creating experience with light and improving the well-being of occupants within spaces, while also seeking out solutions that are low energy and sustainable.
For anyone looking at a career in STEM, and particularly engineering, I cannot recommend it more highly. My career path has enabled me to be creative in my application, technical in my analysis and people-oriented in my delivery. Discover your passions, be curious, and follow the winding path!
Diane, Teacher, Saudia Arabia:
It wasn’t until I happened to have an all-girls middle school math class in Pennsylvania that I started to realize how adolescent girls begin to “hide” in the classroom when something is difficult. It’s a challenging age for them to start with, and they don’t want to stand out as having anything remotely wrong with them. This is particularly true in front of boys. In my all-girl class they were much more open about their questions and frustrations with math. As a result, they got more involved and had a much more successful year. In my mixed classes I started to pay more attention to the girls, and found a lot of reluctance to speak up when they were confused. This reluctance disappeared when they were alone with me or with other girls.
So when I was given the chance to teach just girls in Saudi Arabia, I jumped for it. Here the girls have no problem at all speaking up, asking questions, being dramatic perhaps when they don’t understand, and they are much more willing to get involved in their learning. As a teacher it’s such a joy to watch their math skills and sense of logic grow.
Photo credits: Canva
