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Envisioning Gender Equality and Empowering STEM Women

Posted:
March 11, 2016

Look around almost any laboratory or technology company, and the statistics are borne out. Although women comprise 50% of the overall labor force, only a quarter of the people working in STEM fields are female.

In celebration of Women’s History Month in March—and as part of the year-round efforts the entire Tandon community makes to address that situation—Associate Dean of Student Affairs Anita Farrington and her staff produced the 2016 Women in STEM Summit, a two-day event jam-packed with speakers, workshops, panels, and more.

The theme of the Summit was “Envision and Empower,” and Farrington opened the proceedings with a rousing call to arms. “Why not have a STEM workforce that reflects the demographics of our country?” she asked. “We are justifiably impatient and we envision so much more.” She continued, “At Tandon, we are steadfastly committed to increasing the number of women in our programs, and while we have certainly enjoyed seeing polls that have referred to us as one of the nation’s most ‘female-friendly’ schools, we envision even more.”

Pointing out that for the past few years, entering classes have contained increasing numbers of women and that the trend is anticipated to continue next fall, Farrington concluded, “Without a doubt the needle is moving . . . so I implore you to truly envision and, ultimately, to be truly empowered to pursue your dreams.”

Xi Tang Zhao, a sophomore who is studying electrical engineering, was just one of several men in the audience, thanks in some part to the Office of Student Affairs push to include them. “I support my female classmates and colleagues because we all benefit from learning and working together,” he asserted. “Gender diversity in STEM is far from just a women’s issue.” He particularly enjoyed participating in the roundtable discussions that followed Farrington’s opening and featured such industry leaders as Britt Hykal, a recruiting coordinator at Google, and Georgia Forbes, an executive director of information security at Goldman Sachs. “A group of male engineers might never think to sit down and discuss an issue like work-life balance, but those things are important to all of us,” he said. “It just reinforces the idea that women’s concerns are men’s concerns as well.” 

That leitmotif was heard repeatedly throughout the event, which even concluded with a panel discussion between Department Head and Professor of Computer Science and Engineering Nasir Memon and AIG Talent Management Analyst Nathan Rubin entitled “How Men Can Help.”  Moderated by student leader Alexander Lawson, the conversation ranged from the importance of maintaining a civil, welcoming atmosphere devoid of demeaning terminology or sexist humor to one common-sense method of obtaining gender balance in the workplace: simply hire more women.

Minerva Tantoco, Chief Technology Officer for the City of New York

Minerva Tantoco, Chief Technology Officer for the City of New York

Before then, however, attendees were treated to a keynote speech by Minerva Tantoco, the first-ever Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for the City of New York, who informed the attendees that a significant percentage of the venture-capital-funded start-ups in the city had been founded by women and quipped to them, “Woman techies are a thing now! You are in the right place at the right time.” She concluded, “Technology is the future of work, and you are the future of technology.”

Attendees also heard a talk by alum Patricia McLaughlin, who described being one of only two female students in the aerospace engineering program during the early 1970s. “I had come from an all-girls’ Catholic school where I had taken home economics as part of a not-very-rigorous curriculum,” she said, “and I walked into a group of male engineering students who were whipping out expensive slide rules.” Intimidating mathematical equipment aside, McLaughlin’s classmates understood the importance of supporting a fellow aspiring engineer. “They helped me catch up,” she recalled. “They really wanted me to succeed. They taught me that it wasn’t a sign of weakness to ask for help if I needed it and that while it’s good to focus on climbing, you shouldn’t squash anyone else while you do so.”

If there was any single takeaway from the Summit it was that when everyone—male or female—works towards a goal like gender equality together, that goal gets significantly more achievable.

Received Wisdom

One of the highlights of the Summit was the chance to listen to a distinguished panel of female leaders and faculty members. With decades of collective experience, they were a source of invaluable guidance. Read on to discover just a bit of their best advice to attendees.

Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Alesha Castillo: “Keep up with advances in technology, and constantly teach yourself new things.”

Associate Dean of Bioengineering Mary Cowman: “Working in STEM is like having a brand-new career every year, because technology is changing so rapidly.”

Sinead Davis of Credit Suisse: “Embrace your gender differences and don’t try to blend in, because that’s how you’ll be remembered.”

Associate Dean of Academic Administration Kristen Day: “Know that everyone at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering is rooting for your success and constantly working to provide a diverse and welcoming environment for you.”

Industry Associate Professor of Integrated Digital Media DeAngela Duff: “Initially, you may have to pretend to be confident, and that’s OK, because you’ll eventually begin to believe in yourself for real.”

Industry Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Vittoria Flamini: “It’s very gratifying to be a person who can build new things and improve existing things.”

Professor of Computer Science and Engineering Phyllis Frankl: “Have confidence in yourself; being right has nothing to do with gender or ethnicity.”

Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Jin Montclare: “STEM can allow you to make a difference in the world, so go for it.”

Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Shaloo Rakheja: “Don’t let gender norms dictate what you can do; do what makes you happy.”

Industry Professor of Civil and Urban Engineering Anne Ronan: “If you are teaching, never judge a student by gender, but by potential.”

Lecturer in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Alexandra Seidenstein: “Get as much experience as you can in male-dominated arenas like sports before entering the workforce.”

Industry Assistant Professor of Finance and Risk Engineering Agnes Tourin: “Reflect on who you are and what you really want and then never quit.”
 


A Male Engineer, a Problem with No Gender

Among the presenters at the 2016 Women’s Summit was Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Matt Campisi, who is deeply involved in developing innovative technologies for the early detection of breast cancer.

Breast cancer had been the farthest thing from his mind when he graduated from what was then commonly called NYU-Poly in the mid-1990s and embarked on a career in private industry. That changed to some degree when his mother-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer, but because a woman’s risk of developing the disease increases as she ages, it seemed a tragic but understandable occurrence. It was dramatically less comprehensible when shortly thereafter one of his wife’s cousins, not yet 35 years old, was diagnosed, and genetic testing ultimately revealed that the family carried a harmfully mutated gene that made its members prone to developing the disease. Deeply concerned for his wife’s health, he has since devoted himself to designing, developing, and commercializing globally adoptable and clinically effective non-invasive breast cancer detection solutions.

“Many people don’t realize that men can get breast cancer, but even if you, yourself, never develop it, chances are good that over the course of your lifetime you will know someone who does: maybe a friend, mother, sister, or wife,” he explained to his Summit audience. “I feel honored to contribute to solving the problem, because that’s what engineers do—no matter our gender. We are all, at root, problem solvers.”

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