Giving SEAS a feminine touch

A new Engineering program is trying to get more women involved in labs, experiments and science-based careers.

The Advancing Women in Engineering program, which took off last month, is the School of Engineering and Applied Science's newest recruitment tool, aimed at increasing the number of women interested in engineering at Penn and elsewhere.

Former Stouffer College House dean Michele Grab heads the program and reported about her mission and goals at the program's first meeting last week.

Though Grab is the official director, she reports back to a faculty committee comprised of one member from each of SEAS's six departments.

Grab intends to create brochures and a Web site to circulate around campus and for admissions representatives to introduce people to the program.

"There's very few times you're going to walk into a room and have it be all female engineers," Grab said. "This is the opposite of everyday experience and is very important."

Grab is also trying to use the program to attract middle- and high-school students to SEAS's summer programs.

"We want to maintain that excitement in introductory courses so women can see the cool things engineers do," Grab said.

This program will also act as an "umbrella organization" for the many student groups on campus that focus on women in engineering, like the Society of Women Engineers and Women in Computer Science.

Grab will collaborate with these groups to help support and mentor members.

And these women will be having some fun, too.

Grab plans to hold social networking events for all SEAS female students to get feedback about the program's effectiveness.

"This is the first time all the departments are collaborating and hopefully learning what works and what doesn't work for us," said Susan Davidson, deputy dean of SEAS.

"I would really like women to feel that engineering is exciting and not to have the stereotype that it's just cinder-block walls and geeky guys," she added.

Those involved say that networking and including as many people as possible is key to the program's success.

"I think [Grab] will be a great liaison and helping hand in future events and a great person to go to for advice about events for women," said Michelle Rosenthal, Engineering senior and co-president of Women in Computer Science.

"I want the perception of Engineering to be a vibrant and exciting one," Davidson added.

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