ENG seeks to up female student, faculty numbers

In an effort to boost the number of women in Boston University's College of Engineering, faculty members plan to meet next week to discuss implementing specific female admission outreach programs aimed at prospective students and professors.

The group will consist of "about eight" female faculty members from the college's different departments, said ENG dean Kenneth Lutchen, who called for the discussion.

"The primary agenda of that meeting is to brainstorm how the college can more prominently display the exciting activities and accomplishments of our female faculty, students and alumni, particularly on our website," he said in an email.

"My hope is that by doing [so], more women high school students or women faculty candidates will be aware of what their peers can enjoy and accomplish here," he continued.

According to data from the 2005-06 school year, 22 percent of ENG's 1,174 students are female and 25 percent of the Class of 2009 is female, said ENG Undergraduate Programs Director Joanne Cornell.

ENG faculty members said they hope to implement additional tactics to entice more female undergraduates through several outreach programs, including a female faculty and graduate student support system and a freshman advising system.

"I anticipate, and would be happy if, the meeting will expand into a broader brainstorming discussion on college activities that could amplify female applications to the college," Lutchen said.

ENG works with Women In Science and Engineering to form a support system for female faculty and graduate students in engineering fields. WISE Vice Chair Sheryl Grace said ENG has "made an effort to promote that [engineering programs] include all types of people."

"Our college has approached outreach in a gender-neutral way," the aerospace and mechanical engineering associate professor said. "The freshman advising seminar is gender-neutral, and the selection for summer camps was to involve all types of students."

Students are possibly turned off from studying engineering because of a stereotype that engineers are not philanthropic, Grace said.

"The perception is that engineers don't do things that help people," she said. "Engineering is important to society and the human condition. If that word could get out, more students would be attracted."

Most women who choose to study engineering are dedicated students, said electrical and computer engineering associate professor Maja Bystrom. Bystrom said the female students she teaches are "very strong students and a delight to have in class."

ENG senior Sarah Steinberg, who is majoring in manufacturing engineering, said she has noticed recent national efforts to recruit female engineers.

"Girls are an untapped resource, and some companies are finally realizing this," she said. "But there's still plenty more to do."