Record Breaking Year for Women in Engineering

The Clark School broke several records for the enrollment of women this year. This fall, the Clark School had the largest number and highest percentage of female enrollment in history with the current first-year class. The class of 2016 includes 159 women (23.1 percent). Furthermore, fall 2012 saw the largest number of women undergraduates enrolled in Clark School history with 775 female undergraduates.

To celebrate this achievement, the Women in Engineering (WIE) Program and its Advisory Board hosted a cocktail reception on Tuesday, November 13th. The reception allowed alumnae to mingle with faculty, staff, administrators, supporters and WIE board members. In addition to celebrating women in engineering, the event raised awareness of and funding for the Women in Engineering Opportunity Scholarship Fund.

The reception featured several speakers who discussed the benefits of increasing gender diversity in engineering. Special guest Senior Vice President and Provost Mary Ann Rankin enthusiastically welcomed the Clark School alumnae and shared her vision for the future of education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at the University of Maryland and how the Clark School can work to further diversify the engineering profession.

Cindy Edgerton, President and CEO of Edge Space Systems, Inc. and a member of the WIE Advisory Board, spoke about the importance of introducing young women to engineering careers. Her heartfelt remarks urged attendees to support the WIE Opportunity Scholarship. She announced that 100 percent of the WIE Board has contributed to the fund, which was created in 2011 to recruit and retain women to the Clark School.

The evening also showcased current women in engineering undergraduate students involved in Flexus: The Dr. Marilyn Berman Pollans Living and Learning Community, WIE Research Fellows, Maryland Engineering Sustainability (a part of Engineers Without Borders), Alpha Omega Epsilon and the Society of Women Engineers. Alumnae Francine Shaw Whitson ’82 and Lienhua Lee ’05 were the winners of the festive Terps Spirit Baskets containing tickets to Maryland women’s and men’s basketball games.

Published November 21, 2012