For decades, women in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields have been overshadowed simply due to preconceived gender differences. Even today, interest in STEM careers among young girls starts dwindling in middle school. Stereotypes, lack of self-confidence, and the fear of failure set in, keeping them from furthering any interest and curiosity they may have had. Educators at all levels are constantly thinking of new ways to engage young girls that incorporate creative inquiry and confidence-building activities to reinforce positive images and the importance of a new generation of women in STEM.
“Exposure at a young age plants a seed,” said San Jacinto College chemistry professor Elisabeth Harthcock. “A common denominator among STEM professionals is their insatiable curiosity. I encourage my students to pursue the answers to their questions and continuously expand their knowledge both in depth and range.”
Engineering design graphics professor Debra Acuff (left) and student Delnoir Berry (right).
Photo credit: Andrea Vasquez, San Jacinto College marketing, public relations, and government affairs department.
Once students find their niche in the STEM fields, there’s a sense of pride in knowing where their career is headed. San Jacinto College life science student Yusra Vohra isn’t your average 16-year-old. This is her first year at the College, and prior to moving to the U.S., she excelled in the sciences at her high school, volunteered at medical camps that assisted low-income individuals, and has assisted in taking blood pressure and glucose measurements, X-rays, and ultrasounds. Despite her young age, she knows she was meant to be a doctor. “If you set career goals at young age you become ambitious about it, and it develops into a passion,” said Vohra. “Once it’s your passion, it eventually becomes your destiny.”
According to the Houston Chronicle, more than 715,000 STEM-related jobs are projected in Texas by 2018. Students like 22-year-old Ane Slabic are looking forward to being a respected professional in the STEM arena. Slabic, a San Jacinto College alumna, is now an undergraduate geology student at the University of Houston looking to earn her doctorate degree and become a professor. “It brings me a great deal of happiness knowing that I am respected, accepted, and supported as a female scientist,” said Slabic. “I am excited to see what my future holds. I would like to abolish any sort of fears young girls might have about joining the science community. I want to be a professor one day so that I can help students realize that all of their dreams are within reach.”
San Jacinto College alumna Ane Slabic is now studying geology at the University of Houston and plans to become a professor after she completes her doctorate degree.
Photo credit: Andrea Vasquez, San Jacinto College marketing, public relations, and government affairs department.
San Jacinto College biology professor Lambrini Nicopoulos believes that having female role models in STEM is important for young girls and women as motivational examples to persevere in their educational and career aspirations. “A lot of young women have the misconception that they cannot pursue a STEM career because they are not smart enough, or they can’t devote time to an intensive STEM career and raise children and take care of their families,” said Nicopoulos. “Most of these students have a difficult time referencing a female role model in STEM. I wholeheartedly believe that if young girls witnessed the strides women have achieved in STEM, they would be more encouraged to pursue similar paths. The exposure to these great role models needs to occur when the students are very young. Elementary-aged girls tend to express quite an interest in math and science, but something happens by the time they graduate high school. We need to continue encouraging these young girls to keep exploring and questioning the ‘how’s’ and ‘why’s.’”
This is one issue that the Girl Scouts of the USA Research Institute wanted to dig deeper into. In their 2012 report, “Generation STEM: What Girls Say about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math,” results showed that of 852 teenage girls surveyed nationwide, 74 percent said they were interested in STEM. The report also illustrates how these “STEM girls” have certain characteristics that make them a natural fit for STEM careers. They like understanding how things work, asking questions, and solving problems. Ninety-one percent felt that any obstacle they faced helped make them stronger, and an overwhelming 97 percent said that anything boys could do, girls could do.
Media is also helping to reshape the image of women in STEM showing that even STEM careers aren’t always defined by industry standards. One of the biggest examples is actress Mayim Bialik on the popular sitcom “Big Bang Theory.” Bialik plays a neuroscientist on the show, but many people don’t know that she actually has a PhD in neuroscience from UCLA. Along with acting, she also develops STEM curriculum and is a leading advocate for STEM education and promoting STEM to young girls.
Biology professor Lambrini Nicopolpus (right) and student Yusra Vohra (left).
Photo credit: Andrea Vasquez, San Jacinto College marketing, public relations, and government affairs department.
Former National Geographic filmmaker and ecologist Clare Fieseler, is now pursuing her doctorate at the University of North Carolina and used her skills in filmmaking to create a unique documentary photography project called “Outnumbered.” Fieseler combines art and STEM by using photography to capture female scientists who break stereotypes, showing the detail of their work and passions outside the lab. For example, one of the scientists featured studies nanoparticles and is also a professional mountain biker. Another is a head biologist at a wildlife refuge and relishes the fact she has to go into the most remote swamplands to tag wildlife and monitor flooding. There is also a seven-year-old girl who now has a pet snake, a prized rock collection, and enjoys building circuits all after going to science camp.
While younger girls are starting to find their footing, more and more women are deciding to take second chances at STEM careers that have until recently been heavily male-dominated. In a recent report by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), women who graduated with engineering bachelor’s degrees rose from 17.8 percent in 2009 to 19.9 percent in 2014. Though it may be slow, numbers are steadily growing.
San Jacinto College engineering design graphics professor Debra Acuff recalls the early days of the drafting industry. “In 1987, it was very rare to see or hear of a woman employed as a drafter or designer at an engineering firm,” she said. Working with nontraditional students, who are often in her classes due to pursuing a career change, Acuff always encourages them to keep studying the latest industry technology and software beyond graduation and getting their new job. “I tell my students that this industry is always changing. There are always new drafting software programs like SolidWorks and CADWorx making their way into everyday operations, so it’s important to keep up with the latest technological trends.”
Nontraditional student Delnoir Berry decided to enter the engineering design program after years in the real estate business. “I have had the desire to design homes for a long time,” said the 47-year-old. “I’ve skated around this desire by becoming a realtor, unsure of what designing homes would entail. Now I plan to work in the architecture industry creating new designs and renovating old structures.”
Berry added that demonstrating to young girls that their opinions matter can also make a big difference in their confidence to contribute to the work they’re doing in STEM and any other aspects in their lives. “Young girls need to know that their ideas and perspectives make a difference. Balance in the STEM industries is important to the development of new technologies.”
She also stressed the importance of staying true to yourself, nurturing those personal traits and talents most people develop at an early age. “Stop dreaming and build the world you want! STEM areas were born through creativity, and most girls are unknowingly creative. It starts with early childhood. We play dress up with our mother’s clothes. As teenagers we want to be accepted, so we become creative with our looks, trying to cover up our flaws. As adults we are still trying our best to keep our homes in order, creating different meals, tending to our relationships, and raising our children to be self-sufficient adults. All of this takes creativity. As women, we have an unused talent that is waiting to erupt.”
San Jacinto College continues to be a leader in STEM education through various STEM degree programs, community events, and school district partnerships. For more information on San Jacinto College STEM programs, visit sanjac.edu/program/science-technology-engineering-math-stem.
– Andrea Vasquez