Ifigeneia Metaxa earned her doctorate and undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece. Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it. What is your specific area of STEM? Chemical Engineering How would you explain your STEM field to young girls? I coordinate everything that happens in research and development projects, factories, organise multi-national teams, work in a challenging and inspiring environment. What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field? Do you like construction toys? Did you enjoy looking through the microscope? Do you get that thrill when you got the right answer in math? What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? My father encouraged me to play with "boy toys", so toys like Legos, Playmobil and other construction and battle toys. All of this alongside with more "girl toys". So, avoid labels! A teacher who loved chemistry inspired me to look into this poetic world (yes, chemistry). Also, everyone who told me that chemical engineering was not for girls, encouraged me to prove them wrong! Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone? I was inspired by teachers, I asked women of the field about their experiences (please do that!). I wanted to choose a profession that was versatile and would offer more job opportunities. What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on? Want to turn used cooking oil to fuel? How about playing with reaaaally small (nano) diamonds? Are you in to mobile app development? Do you want to work with cool technologies, such as Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Robots interacting with humans, voice to text, blockchain (behind bitcoin), decision support systems, semantics? It gets exciting! What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? Find what you are passionate about and go for it! STEM is not difficult, it is exciting and rewarding. You just need to learn the way to approach this wonderful world. Oh, and yes, it is cool! Thank you for contributing, Ifigeneia!
0 Comments
Amanda Belding is completing her engineering physics degree, with a concentration in mechanical engineering, from the Ohio State University. Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it. What is your specific area of STEM? Engineering Physics/Mechanical Engineering How would you explain your STEM field to young girls? Engineering Physics is about a deeper understanding of the engineering disciple you choose to focus on. I focused on mechanical engineering, when I learned how to build and design moving structures that solve a problem. In engineering you learn the equations for building and designing parts, in engineering physics, you learn why those equations work. The fundamentals are taught and focused on so that you can apply them to any problem you face. What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field? Problem solving, puzzles, playing with legos, taking apart systems to try to figure out how they work, learning about cars or bikes and how they are built. What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? I loved math, physics, and taking apart things when they broke to attempt to fix them. From that my parents and teachers suggested looking at engineering and I went to engineering camp to get a better idea of what each discipline had to offer. Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone? I choose mechanical engineering because I really liked car engines. I found them fascinating and I wanted to understand how they worked. As I went through courses though I became frustrated when teachers would just hand us equations and expect us to accept them so I added physics to my disciple to get a deeper, fundamental understanding. What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on? I work on many projects. Some of the really cool ones include: design test structures for research on quantum computing and design mechanical components that are being sent out into space to collect weather data. What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? Just because one person may think you aren't smart enough does not mean you need to give up. Having a big brain is only part of what makes a great engineer. The other half is being a hard and passionate worker. If you enjoy learning something, never stop. Thank you for contributing, Amanda! Kathy Silver earned her engineering degree from Georgia Tech. Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it.
What is your specific area of STEM? Materials Science and Engineering How would you explain your STEM field to young girls? A materials engineer is someone who creates new materials or discovers new uses for old material. What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field? Any child is capable of an aptitude for math/science and we should assume all young children (particularly girls) have the ability to go into STEM fields. The bigger challenge (in my opinion) is convincing children of non-STEM parents that they are capable. Where I work, I am one of only a half dozen engineers who does not have at least one parent in a STEM career and I'm the only employee whose parents do not have college degrees. What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? I didn't know much, though I recall a female ceramics engineer who came to talk on a career day that left an impact. Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone? As mentioned above, I remember the ceramics engineer and decided to follow "what I know". What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on?
What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? Read, do well at school and attend STEM camps. Thank you for contributing, Kathy! Samantha Lie-Tjauw earned her Master’s in Public Health from Emory University and her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from the University of Georgia. Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it. What is your specific area of STEM? Biology and Public Health How would you explain your STEM field to young girls? Public Health is understanding the important role each of us play in keeping ourselves and each other happy and healthy. What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field? Interest in puzzles, numbers, putting things together and taking them apart, the natural world around them, always asking questions, etc. What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? I did not know anything about my STEM field until college. However in regards to biology - I thought it was the study of the natural world around and all parts of it. Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone? I had a formative experience in Guatemala that opened my eyes to the importance of community health and the opportunity that preventative care could play in wellness and joy. What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on? We get to meet all different types of people and build relationship with them. We get to do ANYTHING because public health is everywhere - teach, work in a lab, travel the world, speak different languages, help people AND animals, etc. What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? Any STEM field allows you to explore and exploring is one of the greatest joys in life. Get out there and get to know the world around you! Thank you for contributing, Samantha! Hilarie Warren earned her Master’s in Public Health from Emory University and her BS in Biology from the University of New Hampshire. Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it. What is your specific area of STEM? Biology/Industrial Hygiene How would you explain your STEM field to young girls? My job is to use my knowledge about the human body to help people protect themselves at work from things that might make them sick. I use special equipment to measure things (particles in the air or the loudness of a noise) and then compare my results to numbers established by other scientists to make sure people who are working with chemicals or loud machinery aren't at risk for illness or injury. If my measurements show there is a danger to an employee, I use engineering methods to find a way to change the equipment or process so it better protects the person doing the job. We don't want anyone getting sick just from doing their job! What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field? Interest in taking things apart and putting them back together (puzzles, models); interest in how things work or are made; problem-solving ability; ability to see the whole/big picture – a systems approach. What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? I knew nothing about the field of industrial hygiene as a child. I was given lots of opportunities to build and create (taking apart old telephones, for example, to see their inner workings) and emphasis on imaginative play, creativity and the arts were fostered and exemplified by both parents and teachers. I spent a lot of time outdoors, which instilled both a love of science and biology. Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone? I always knew I would work in science (it was my favorite subject in school from the beginning), but the idea to pursue something other than medical school came much later. I was lucky to have 2 opportunities to travel abroad and see working conditions in different parts of the world, and after those experiences I couldn't quite get them out of my mind. But I didn't know what to do with that information yet. The opportunity to work in occupational health/industrial hygiene came when a graduate school academic advisor suggested an internship opportunity in this field. She knew my interest in protecting the health of the most vulnerable people, and suggested this field might be a good fit. She was right. What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on? I get to see how things are made - every day! I go to companies that make everything from sugar to bicycles to apple orchards to airplanes to chocolate candy to sweatshirts! I get to stomp around on big construction projects and see buildings and roads designed and put together even before anyone else ever gets to use or drive on them! I get to meet lots of different people and hear about how they do their work - so every day is a little bit different. One of my favorite places I ever got to work was at an aquarium - I got to go behind the scenes and see parts of the facility (and animals!) that only people who worked there could usual go. If you like to see how things are made - and like to get a little dirty! - this is a great field to explore. What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? If you are excited and interested by a topic or a field - THAT's what matters the most. Don't be afraid to explore, ask questions, get your hands dirty - the world needs more people who are excited about the possibilities and potential of things, not just those who can "do" the job. STEM work is the best because it's never dull, it's fun, it's challenging, and it's rewarding. Thank you for contributing, Hilarie! Marissa Buck is pursuing her chemical engineering degree from the University of Florida. Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it. What is your specific area of STEM? Chemical Engineering How would you explain your STEM field to young girls? Chemical engineers use chemistry, math, and physics to make products that are used around the world. Chemicals are in everything - food, makeup, clothing, medicine, gasoline - and chemical engineers are needed to make a large amount of these products for all the people who use them. What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field? I really enjoyed puzzles, building things from legos, putting together furniture with my dad, and drawing/painting. The puzzles enhanced critical thinking skills that are important for engineering. The arts helped develop creativity that is important for finding innovative solutions to problems. The hands-on activities showed how I liked to know how things were made, and I liked being a part of that process. Engineers get to be a part of that creation process for many different things. What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? I did not know what engineering was a child. I learned about STEM in the 6th grade when my science teacher told the girls about a STEM program at a local university. They took girls in for a day and did various science experiments at the university. It was a fun, engaging day and it made the girls interested in the science behind it all. In the 8th grade, a speaker at a Mathletes competition spoke about engineering. He gave out pamphlets and I read a little about it. Originally I looked into environmental engineering because I was all about being green. It wasn't until 11th grade when I fell in love with chemistry and heard about chemical engineering from college pamphlets. Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone? I really enjoyed chemistry and math, but I did not want to be in a lab all day. I wanted to see products being made, and I wanted to be a part of that process. Chemical engineering was the best fit. Entering a male dominant field made me feel proud to show that women can succeed in engineering. What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on? Chemical engineers make the foods and drinks that you love- Kraft macaroni and cheese, Lays potato chips, Tropicana orange juice, Hershey's chocolate, etc. Also, chemical engineers help make the plastic and packaging that the food has to go into. Almost all packaged food has a chemical engineer helping to make it. They help make the flavor and make sure it stays consistent so every bite tastes as good as the last. They also do customer surveys to find out the flavors people like the best and flavors they want to have in the future. The packaging is also impressive with many machines that can melt plastic into different shapes, sizes, and textures in order to fit the food or drinks going inside. What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? Don't be afraid to do what you enjoy. Science is not a boy subject; it is for everyone. Science is not a nerdy subject; it is essential to everyday life Thank you for contributing, Marissa! Sharon Diaz earned her doctorate from the University of South Florida College of Medicine. Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it. What is your specific area of STEM? Medical sciences/medical research. How would you explain your STEM field to young girls? Medical researchers study how our body works and what happens when our bodies don't work well. We try to discover ways to prevent diseases and provide cures for things like cancer, diabetes, etc. What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field? Children who ask the "why" questions are demonstrating a natural curiosity about how things work. They aren't satisfied with just knowing facts but also understanding how and why those conclusions were made. What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? When I was a child I did not know medical researchers existed. My interest in science peaked in high school when I was exposed to biology and had an amazing teacher, Mrs. Parker. Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone? I was inspired to become a medical researcher when a tragedy changed my life in high school. My smart, amazing, friend was diagnosed with cancer and passed away within months of his diagnosis. I kept asking myself "why can't we cure cancer"? I decided I wanted to make a difference in the fight against cancer. What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on? Medical researchers get to work in laboratories where they create (design), carry out (implement), and think about what the results mean (analyze) in experiments. My favorite part of being a researcher was getting to look through a microscope and discovering a living world that's invisible to our eyes! Microscopes make something small seem much bigger, kind of like a magnifying glass. Our eyes can't see it, but our bodies battle everyday to keep us healthy. Think of the Superheroes you read about or see in the movies. In our bodies, the Superheroes are our immune cells. They are the good guys that defend our bodies against the villains. The villains are things that cause disease like bacteria, viruses, cancer cells and other things that can make us sick. Medical researchers find ways to help our Superheroes (immune cells) defend our bodies against disease. What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? If you want to learn about why our bodies work the way they do and help find ways to keep people from getting sick, then think about becoming a medical researcher. We still haven't discovered a cure for many kinds of cancer but we are always looking for smart, curious girls to keep looking for answers! Thank you for contributing, Sharon! Emelia Funnell is pursuing her biomedical engineering degree at Georgia Tech. Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it. What is your specific area of STEM? Biomedical Engineering How would you explain your STEM field to young girls? Biomedical engineering focuses on developing medical technologies to help people with medical conditions or disabilities. For example, a biomedical engineer might help someone with only arm by developing a prosthetic (or fake) arm for them to use. What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field? I believe question-asking and answer-seeking is definitely a trait indicating early aptitude for engineering. As for the biomedical focus of engineering, a child may show signs of caring for other people's lives and wanting to help improve the lives of those who are in suffering. What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? To be honest, I didn't think seriously about what I wanted to study until going into high school. As a child, I just wanted to be a professional soccer player. However, throughout my primary and secondary education, I was drawn to math and science and encouraged to really commit to those subjects. Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone? I knew I liked math and problem solving, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. The summer before my first semester of college I had an eye doctor appointment for a check up, but mostly just to get an updated prescription for contacts. After examining my eye, my optometrist said that my optic nerves appeared to be swollen -- an indicator for various other medical concerns, including brain tumor. I was sent straight to the hospital, as that was the quickest way to have an MRI done. My MRI turned out completely normal, but I still had to see various specialists throughout the following weeks and months to try and diagnose the reason for the abnormal appearance of my optic nerves. In that claustrophobic MRI scanner as well as throughout my various tests and run-ins with medical technology, I had quite a bit of time to think about my future as well as the lives of people with diagnosed medical conditions. This experience is what made me realize the direction I wanted to take engineering and my career. What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on? Biomedical engineers make artificial organs and implement technologies that allow people to live improved lives. One research project that I was involved in was focused on finding preventative methods for concussions resulting from collisions in sports. My group and I did a lot of research to find out all of the biological processes behind concussions as well as what kinds of technology were already out there being used in the real world. We ended up producing various models of a cap that stimulates the neurons and happenings within the brain through the use of magnets. At the beginning of the project, we had no idea what we were going to do and felt completely lost, but it was really cool working it out with my group and seeing how far we progressed throughout the project. What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? If you like solving problems and exploring the reasons behind answers, I would really encourage you to pursue STEM, as there is nothing more rewarding than overcoming obstacles and finishing a project. And who knows, that project may one day be connecting parts of the world, leading towards a greener more sustainable Earth, or saving lives. Thank you for contributing, Emelia! Emilie Pourchet is pursuing biomedical engineering at Georgia Tech and expects to earn her degree in 2018. Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it. What is your specific area of STEM? Biomedical Engineering How would you explain your STEM field to young girls? Work alongside doctors to make devices to help people with health issues. What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field? An interest in books, although a better indicator is if they are curious about how things work. Working with Legos or other building toys is also a sign. What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? I knew very little. I didn't think STEM fields would be for me until about 10th grade. I have an older brother who is a computer science graduate, and grandparents, aunts and uncles who are all in STEM (my parents are in business and management though). My brother was the biggest influence on me and he is the one who stimulated my interest in science. Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone? My older brother is very passionate about science and he inspired me. What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on? Biomedical engineers help people who have health problems! Thank you for contributing, Emilie! Allison Sellars is pursuing chemical engineering at Georgia Tech and expects to earn her degree in 2018. Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it. What is your specific area of STEM? Chemical Engineering How would you explain your STEM field to young girls? Chemical engineers use math and science, and combine pretty much all subjects and experiences, in order to solve all kinds of problems in the world. What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field? Legos, an active imagination, puzzles. What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? I didn't know much as a child at all. It was probably not until I was a junior in high school when I learned about engineering and the term "STEM." I was always fairly good at the math and science classes through school and it was what I enjoyed doing. I think I learned about STEM from a combination of my parents and teachers and their encouragement. Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone? I didn't really know any engineers growing up at all. I was just encouraged to try it because it was a growing field and covered the subjects and topics I was interested in. What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on? Cool chemical experiments - making crystals, etc. I got to intern in a chemical plant where I saw all kinds of different equipment and even got to climb into some of the big machines. Chemical engineers work with a lot of cool equipment that do fancy things. What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? STEM can seem super intimidating and scary sometimes and it's super easy to say that "it's not for me" or "I won't be good at that," but you can do it. If I can do it, anyone can! You are never in it alone - people are always there to help you no matter what. It's the best decision that I made and I couldn't imagine myself doing anything else. It's amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it! Thank you for contributing, Allison! Manon Magill earned her biomedical engineering degree from Georgia Tech. Here she shares a little about her career and the inspiration behind it. What is your specific area of STEM? Biomedical Engineering How would you explain your STEM field to young girls? Biomedical Engineering is a combination of engineering (building solutions) and medicine (treating patients). I basically use my engineering skills to create a solution for health problems, which can mean making new medicines, new implants, or new devices for doctors to use on patients. What traits might a child possess that may indicate an interest or aptitude for your STEM field? An interest in the human body and helping people, as well as an ability to think outside the box to create solutions. What did you know about your STEM field when you were a child? I had an interest in the medical field because my dad was in medical school, but I didn't know about biomedical engineering until high school. Why did you choose your STEM field? Were you inspired by someone? It's a combination of two things I love - medicine/the human body & creating solutions! What are some really cool things that people in your profession work on? Here are some examples:
What inspirational message would you give young girls to inspire them to pursue STEM? I love STEM because I love feeling like what I'm doing with my time will make a difference in the world! Without the STEM field, we wouldn't have computers, phones, apps, advancements in medicine, faster cars, planes, or space exploration. Don't let boys run the show - make sure you get in on the action! :) Thank you for contributing, Manon! |
Participate!Women in STEM, we invite you to take our survey. You'll inspire young girls and contribute to the success of the STEM Girls Books series! Categories
All
Archives
March 2020
|