Historically, women and engineering have mixed as well as, well, oil and water. It's a trend Union College is committed to reversing.
For the fourth straight year, a group of academically talented high school girls will spend two weeks at the College learning about careers in engineering. Juniors and seniors from the local region and beyond, they are participating in EDGE – Educating Girls as Engineers – from July 17-28.
They bring with them a passion for math, an affinity for science and a desire to solve problems or make a difference in people's lives, all reasons girls decide to become engineers. At EDGE, they'll get a taste of real-world engineering through lectures, lab work and field trips.
“This is an exciting program that encourages young women to pursue engineering here at Union or elsewhere,” says Union Dean of Engineering and Computer Science Cherrice Traver. “It also addresses the national need to increase the number of women in the engineering workplace.”
Fewer than 10 percent of practicing engineers in the United States today are women, Traver said.
“The fields of engineering offer so many opportunities for women, and the EDGE program enables the girls to see the practical aspects of engineering that you cannot achieve in the classroom,” said Jenny Moon '03, program coordinator. “By showing these bright young girls that you can use an engineering degree to drastically improve people's lives, especially children's, it proves to them that engineering isn't just technical; it creates a better world for us all.”
Moon, who majored in civil engineering and Japanese, said 11 girls were chosen for EDGE through a rigorous application process, including an essay, transcript and letters of recommendation. They come from the Capital Region, New York City, New Jersey, Boston and Seattle.
They will have an opportunity to explore and apply engineering principles, such as bioengineering, robotics, computer systems, microprocessors and circuits, to solve specific challenges.
As in past years, they will design and build adaptive toys for children with disabilities at Northwoods at Hilltop, a brain injury rehabilitation center in Schenectady. A robotics project will challenge them to devise a “speech box,” or computer-aided device, to serve as a voice for a disabled person who has lost the ability to speak.
“These themes have worked very well for us,” said Linda Almstead, Computer Science lecturer. “Girls of this age tend to relate to children and to helping others. And it's important for them to recognize the role of engineers in the world. It's not all about machines and war and cars and guns. There is a very human aspect to some engineering-related careers.
“I really love it,” said Almstead, who has been teaching in the program since it started. “The girls are great, and it's a worthwhile endeavor to let them know that being an engineer is a good career for a woman. I probably would have been one myself had times been different when I graduated.”
Other EDGE faculty are James Hedrick, lecturer, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Patricia Culbert, artist-in-residence in Theatre, who will conduct a creative theater workshop on Tuesday, July 18.
Also participating is high school teacher Michele Cannistraci of the South Colonie School District.
Program participants will tour Extreme Molding in Watervliet, a company that serves the life sciences industry through product design, rapid prototyping and full-scale manufacturing; X-ray Optical Systems of East Greenbush, a developer and manufacturer of measurement components using optical lenses; and Plug Power of Latham, a leader in fuel cell technology.
While on campus, the students are living in Orange House. A number of recreational activities are planned, including a movie night and trips to Albany and Saratoga.
There will be a farewell dinner on Thursday, July 27, at Turf Tavern in Scotia. The students will demonstrate their re-engineered toys and devices during a poster session on Friday, July 28, 3-4:30 p.m. in the F.W. Olin Center Atrium.
The EDGE workshop is supported through a grant from Northrop Grumman Corp.