I really enjoyed reading your post – thank you for writing about such a controversial, but important, topic! Last year I graduated from the University of Alberta with my Bachelors of Science in Materials Engineering. The female representation in my class was 6 out of 36 students. I have now moved on to complete my Masters degree in Materials Engineering (at the same university) where the ratio of females to males is MUCH higher – although this trend is not reflected in my personal research group (only 2 females out of 12 students).

I was very fortunate in that I registered in the Co-Op program, whereby work terms are interspersed with school terms. There are a total of 20 working months integrated into a 4 year educational degree, which adds another year to the program. During my Co-Op experience, I worked at 3 separate companies: an oil and gas service company (where the lab work force was approximately 40% female – all engineers or engineering technologists), a local research company (I was the only female engineer out of that group of 20 engineers), and my final work term was at a steel mill in Ontario (I was the only female in MANAGEMENT, let alone the only female engineer). I have therefore had a variety of experience in the ‘real world’ and have seen different responses to female engineers in the work force.

I still remain hopeful that women will be respected in the work place, although I do recognize the ‘glass ceiling’ that inevitably may be present in some work environments. During my work term in Ontario, I was told by a trusted (and male!) mentor that women bring a very different perspective to the table when it comes to problem-solving. He truly valued female involvement in all ranges of company activities (meaning, everyday plant operations or major technical decisions or suggestions on shifts in economic planning). I hope that all management teams (male or female) will learn that EVERY individual can bring something important to the table, regardless of gender.

One of the reasons I chose to homeschool was to make sure my son AND daughter get a strong math and science. They may not go into a science field, but at least they will learn useful skills. Right now I can see my son doing some kind of engineer work and my girl…well I just don’t know. I think she is going to negotiate world peace and kick anyone’s butt who stands in her way. She wanted me show her exactly where babies come out and she wanted me to be the exhibit.

My own daughter in graduate school for geology. To say it has been stressful is an understatement. Her first advisor at MIT expected her to bring coffee to all the meetings. She was the “woman” so she wouldn’t mess up the order (so he thought). Her advisor now is a woman that took her on because she wants women to be successful in graduate school. This woman advisor is VERY BUSY (she’s in charge or rebuilding the Alvin). She doesn’t have to take time to mentor and help my daughter. But she does. Because, like Naomi, she knows the importance of women entering these fields and that women can be successful and heck, this stuff can be very interesting and exciting also.