MedTech Conference

Hi all! Welcome back, 

This past Thursday I had the honor of attending the MedTech conference put on by the Arizona Council of Technology. Not only did I gain an immense knowledge of technology in the medical industry but I saw a glimpse into how career networking really looks. 

Something that I noticed was that while there were a large number of females present at the event there were still more males. Furthermore, the sponsor showcase was where the duties of the females showed through. The females that were at the conference were mostly there for marketing companies. They were at the boots promoting the company and socializing with the other male engineers that were there looking for work. While this was an informational and marketing conference, I still found this interesting. 

On a side note, the innovations being made through engineers of all kinds is one of the reasons I love it so much. Currently, babies that are born "blue" (a serious lack of oxygen) are being treated significantly better because of engineering technologies such as 3D printing. After the babies are born scans of their hearts (deformities are all) are translated into a software than then prints out an actual model. This allows the doctors to look at the heart before they actually begin the surgery so that they can better understand how to approach the patient's particular situation. Innovation only occurs when teams are able to fully collaborate. Given that teamwork is so essential, I'd like to once again argue that it is incredibly important to have input from both genders. 

Stay tuned for more fun events and information!! 

SAT Performance Gap Between the Genders

Hi again!

In looking into the different characteristics that females and males bring to engineering, I found it important to look into different test scores. In a recent study of 2015 SAT exams, there was a 31% difference between the level at which males and females performed. According to AEI's Rick Hess these numbers are in fact "ugly" and represent a sad fact about traditional high school in current America. The males scored an average of 527 on the 2015 SAT exam while females only scored an average 496. Even into 2015 there is a statistically significant difference, particularly in math, in favor of males across all ethnic groups. AEI argues that this is because males are better prepared. However, according to College Board, this is not accurate. Rather, they argue that females are more prepared because in 2015 there were near 100,000 MORE females that took the exam that year. It might be just me, but this is mind-blowing. How is that, despite having a larger number taking the exam, females still struggle? In the next week, I plan to look into why colleges are going out of their way to recruit females despite their lower scores.

Here's a trend to think about. Over many generations, males have been scoring higher than females. This includes males of all ethnicities. Interesting? I think so. 

A Look Into Women in Engineering at the University Level

Welcome back :)

Today I had the opportunity to attend a "Women in Engineering" panel through Arizona State University. This panel consisted of three current female engineering students who currently attend the university and one admirative person who oversees the Fulton colleges of engineering. All three students were members of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) that advocates for a higher female presence within the STEM fields in order to create a balanced team environment. Throughout the session, I learned a lot about the real experience of females within the engineering field, however, I also gained a glimpse into a possible motivation of this post. 

Upon asking "What do you think the driving force behind this movement is" I received a few surprised looks and a delayed response. I knew immediately that the reason behind this reaction was because it's not normally a question people have been asking. That's truly the motivation behind my project because while the implications of the movement can clearly be seen statistically just by analyzing the number of females entering the field, the actual reason behind this huge movement is a bit clouded. For example, ASU's current engineering program is twenty-one percent females which places the university slightly above average. However, it is difficult to pinpoint an exact reason behind this universities attempts to incorporate females into their engineering programs. 

One of the answers that I received was very interesting.. one of the freshman female engineering students stated that "engineering is a state of mind... you nearly need to have the confidence to succeed and others will treat you with respect despite the differences in gender. After all, why not all struggle through it together." While the rest of the group chuckled at the end of her response, the beginning really caught my attention. Does the answer to my research question really just rely on the fact that females now have the boldness to pursue a degree in a male-dominated field? Based on this question, I intend to pursue the social influences that may have contributed to the confidence boost that many are seeing. 

A more concrete answer that I received was from the only male sitting in the room (what a change!). Also in an administrative position, he offered an opinion sourced outside of the university.  He suggested that this movement is driven by the industry itself. He said, "companies are recognizing that by only having one gender's point of view they can only solve half of the world's problems instead of all of them." As evidence, he brought up a company that developed the seat-belt. A past friend of his worked on the project and despite all the testing that was run on crash test dummies and the numerous protoypes that were developed when the final product actually it the market it ran into a lot of complications. The designers of this seatbelt failed to consider how the seatbelt might work on a female, who had different body builds. Furthermore, they didn't account for how it might strap into a baby's carseat would strap in with the build of the seatbelt. All in all, the company realized that by exluding the female perspective they limited the success of the final product. In a world dominated by innovation and success, failure is not an option and so companies want to include both perspectives in order to further the influence of whatever product they might be developing. 

In the next few weeks, I also plan on looking into how both of the genders approach problems and the manners in which the approaches are similar and/or different! Keep your eye out for that! :)

-Elizabeth 

Lesson #1 - It's All About the BOM

Welcome back!

Before starting my internship, I had no idea what the term "BOM" meant but within the first few hours working on the gray floor - I knew it was extremely important. While at my internship on Tuesday, I was able to travel around the gray floor - we'll talk about this later - and talk to people about their role in the production process. Every single person that I talked to referenced the BOM at least once. Now, you might be asking "Liz, what in the world is a 'BOM'" and that's simple to answer. A "BOM" is a "Bil Of Materials" which is basically a document in which all of the needed parts for a specific project are listed. While the specific details of how this spreadsheet is organized can be a bit dry, the importance could not be more interesting.

After the customer requests a quote for a product, MJS must then determine whether or not the customer wishes to provide their own parts for the project or if MJS will source them. This is where the BOM first comes into play these materials get filled into a document that serves as the roadmap for building and is key to a quality product.

A quick note about the gray floor: This is the area where all of the products are made. Within this area, everyone must be wearing proper ESD gear to prevent damage to any parts. ESD, or electrostatic discharge occurs when your body acts as a conductor. If you have ever walked across carpet and then shocked yourself when opening the doorknob then you have experienced ESD. In our everyday lives, there is charge all around us that we can sometimes build up without noticing. When this occurs, that flow of charge could break smaller parts on the board if not properly grounded.This is where the heel straps and smocks come into play. Every person on this floor must be wearing these items to avoid damage to the various electrical parts.

The biggest lesson I have learned so far was the importance of the BOM - it ties everything together and keeps the production organized to ensure the highest level of quality upon completion. (Not to mention it just sounds cool 😋)

Stay tuned for more!
-Elizabeth

Introducing the Internship

Welcome back! 

While I have only completed one week of my internship at MJS Designs, I have already gained a great understanding of what it is like to be an engineer. On my first day, I was given a tour of the facility and introduced to each person. The small size of the company allowed me to talk to each person individually and to get a brief overview of their role in the overall process. 

The biggest thing that I have learned this far is the pivotal role that teamwork plays in the quality of the product. From the design phase on there are a variety of people working together to produce the final product. The multiple tests that are run to check for quality put MJS above other companies because they stress producing a product that not only works but works well. However, this level of quality calls for an even greater level of cooperation. 

Throughout my project, I hope to explore this team-work more in order to really see what creates a good team. I want to look into the different approaches males and females take to problem-solving and how this might influence the ultimate product being made. I hope to discover the balance that females can bring to a traditionally male-dominated field. I intend to do this both through research and through my personal experience at MJS. My internship is designed to act as a supplement to my project; a way of expressing the facts that I am collecting in a tangible and relatable manner.

More to come on the incredible designs I will be working on at MJS! Subscribe here to learn more about females and their stereotypes in engineering in next week's blog! 

-Elizabeth 

Welcome!

Welcome all!! 

To introduce my project, I want to tell a story. Throughout all of my childhood, I was often building new toys to play with or making a craft. I would draw and push the limits of my creativity. This was all thanks to my grandfather! He taught me to embrace my imagination. This mentality pushed me to take a variety of physics and math courses and I fell in love with the STEM fields. I intend to pursue a degree in electrical engineering, an option that is not common for females. In fact, it was unheard of in the past. 

Through this project, I hope to discover the motivation behind the recent push for females in engineering. There are a variety of programs that have recently been implemented to encourage females to pursue engineering. I intend to look into the differences in treatment between males and females within the field. The tips of obstacles females face and the different characteristics they can bring to the field. I intend to argue for the benefits of having both genders in the field. 

My internship is through MJS Designs, a printed circuit board design company. I will receive an overview of the company to gain a wholesome understanding of the building process and then will spend the majority of my time working alongside the head electrical engineer to gain an in-depth look into the design process.

To learn more about my project, take a look at my project proposal. I encourage you to follow my blog if you are interested in modern day female engineers and the manner in which they are overcoming traditional barriers. Subscribe to my blog HERE!

-Elizabeth