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| Breaking the Mold: MITRE Hosts Young Women in Engineering Event July 2008
They learned how to hack computers*, what's behind the doors of a biotech/nanotech laboratory, and how to work the throttle in a cockpit simulator—and that was even before it was time to break for lunch. At its second annual "Young Women in Engineering" event on Friday, April 11, MITRE's McLean, Va., location introduced 35 math- and science-minded teenage girls from Northern Virginia to various careers available to them in the world of engineering and other technical disciplines. This event was organized by Jed Kane, a MITRE lead systems engineer who volunteers on the Fairfax County Public School's (FCPS) Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee. "As in a lot of schools, there is a technology gender gap in our area school system," explains Kane, who is able to use MITRE's civic time benefit for his service to FCPS. "Girls are not taking the information technology and pre-engineering courses that the boys are. We created this event to show young women some of the opportunities available to them if they pursue careers in engineering." Throughout their day at MITRE, the girls participated in various workshops and demonstrations and heard from a number of MITRE women, including Lillian Ryals (a technical director), Helene Johnson (a senior information systems engineer), and Asma Abuzaakouk (a lead information systems engineer). Ryals, the first speaker of the day, talked about the many different kinds of people who work for MITRE, and she shared her own introduction to the world of technology. "I had always wanted to teach, and I was in college working toward a teaching degree when I was first introduced to computers," said Ryals, who joined MITRE in 1979. "Immediately, I was hooked. It wasn't just the programming that grabbed me—I was fascinated by all that computers could do for people." Ryals also told the girls about her involvement with the Federal Aviation Administration's Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) program, an aircraft system that prevents mid-air collisions. She noted that it was an effort she still calls her "favorite project" at MITRE. "It was a project that makes a difference to people every day." "When you're passionate about your work, it shows and people respect that," she added. "I get to work on systems that help make our aviation system the safest in the world." Pep Talks and Scientific Talks One of the workshop speakers was Chris Compton, a MITRE senior information security engineer. Compton led a presentation called "I was a hacker for the U.S. government." While participants were fascinated by the title of his talk, they were equally interested in its content. They got a good peek at hacker software and learned some of the intricacies of cybersecurity. Compton explained to them: "I want you to understand security, keep yourself safe, teach others, and be leaders." At the end of the morning programs, the girls were excited and enthusiastic about what they learned and saw. "I'm interested in engineering," said a junior from Edison (High School) Academy in Alexandria. "I didn't know much about what engineers really do. What I saw today is close to what I want to do in the future." "I like science, and I want to be a scientist," added a 7th grader from Lanier Middle School in Fairfax. "I got more of an idea of what the job field is like." An informal afternoon social gathering provided the girls with the opportunity to talk one on one with speakers and other technical women at MITRE. One of the attendees was program manager Jasmine Faubert. "My daughter is a senior in high school, and I can see how much it helps to see real women engineers that are moms too—life is not one choice or another," Faubert said afterward. "During the informal networking session, we talked about what to study in college, why we like our jobs and how we combine engineering with other passions, such as helping the elderly, teaching children, being a lawyer, or supporting environmental protection issues." Delores Derrington, a department head in MITRE's Department of Defense federally funded research and development center, also participated in the one-on-one session. "One girl I spoke with is having difficulty deciding on a college choice. Just knowing others are faced with similar dilemmas provided some perspective and seemed to really ease her stress." So what was the final verdict for "Young Women in Engineering" at MITRE? "I got to fly a plane and hack a computer," said an 8th grader from Rachel Carson Middle School in Herndon. "It's been a pretty cool day." "This was a wonderful opportunity for these girls to see, versus just read or hear about, engineering careers open to them," summarized Genie Williford, a Fairfax County Public School career experience specialist at Edison (High School) Academy. "They won't forget this event at MITRE." (* Not really. They participated in a cybersecurity demonstration on the use of hacker software.) —by Nadine Monaco Page last updated: July 30, 2008 | Top of page |
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