UNSW Civil and Environmental Engineering Society (CEVSOC)’s Post

According to the 2022 semiconductor gender parity study from the Global Semiconductor Alliance, women make up only 20 to 25 percent of the semiconductor workforce. Virginia Tech faculty Yang (Cindy) Yi and Luke Lester are taking on the challenge to bring more women into technology and semiconductor industries through UPWARDS, an international partnership between the U.S. and Japan. #semiconductor #semiconductorindustry #women #womeninit https://lnkd.in/eMTESiNY

We need to recognize how we can support more women and girls in #stemeducation. Having more women and girls in #STEM is the way to achieve #genderequality #genderparity and #sustainability.

Yesterday, the Academy published a new literature review focusing on the last decade of diversity and inclusion research. Its findings highlight the gaps in the existing research and the areas where further work should be undertaken such as neurodiversity, age, disability and socio-economic status. #EngDiversity Read it now: https://lnkd.in/ejP6ZzJJ [Image description: New report: A decade in focus. A new literature review examining the evidence on Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity (EDI) in engineering in the UK over the past decade. #EngDiversity. https://lnkd.in/ejP6ZzJJ]

Today, we put the spotlight on our colleague Wendy Vink and talk to her about what it has been like working in engineering.  “If you're just starting out in STEM and are worried about how you will fit in in an industry where men outnumber women, don't be,” says Wendy Vink. “If this is your passion, follow your heart. You will succeed if you believe you will. You must be prepared for difficulties at times, but you will emerge stronger than before.”  Read the full story on our blog: https://ow.ly/O2MC50PK1RL What has working in engineering been like for you? Tell us in the comments. #IWED #InternationalWomenInEngineeringDay #ABB #MeasurementMadeEasy #MeasurementAndAnalytics

Meet GeMA, one of our newest student organization at Michigan Aerospace! Formed in the Fall of 2023, the Gender Minorities in Aerospace student group aims to support and build a community among graduate students and postdocs who identify as gender minorities. We recently caught up with them to learn more about their goals and aspirations for the coming years. Read more about it in our newest highlight article here: https://lnkd.in/gtjdgA3c #UMichAero

Today is International Women’s Day - an important day for acknowledging the incredible contributions, skills, talents, mahi, and achievements of women & girls in New Zealand. It's also about reflecting on our progress as we work towards achieving gender equality. For over 100 years, women have celebrated this day. Women started campaigning vocally for change in the early 1900s in response to inequality. Today and throughout the week Spark Team has been embracing this year's theme: accelerating progress by investing in women. Across Spark, we are making progress when it comes to pushing for greater diversity, equity, and inclusion. Spark reports and tracks gender representation and pay equity. We're one of around 200 New Zealand companies that voluntarily report our gender pay gap so that we can be open, transparent, and ultimately accountable for making sure we drive change. One of Spark's long-standing DEI goals is to increase our female gender representation across the organisation to 40% - what we call our 40:40:20 goal (40% women, 40% men, and 20% any gender). At Spark, we also know that increasing female representation in technology is an industry-wide challenge, but we shouldn't let that stop us from doing all we can to influence change. Spark is working actively alongside our industry peers, external technology institutions, and other thought leaders to create a NZ-wide pipeline of women in technology careers. This International Women’s Day Spark is getting behind the rallying call of investing in women and accelerating progress by supporting a group of young women from Rotorua who have qualified for the International Seaperch Competition - an underwater robotics competition for Deep Sea Exploration. They need $40k to make it to the US to compete. The members of the SAGE Engineering Club are 5 girls aged between 13-17 who have participated in four different robotics & engineering competitions throughout the year after placing 2nd in the High School Division at the NZ Aquabots competition, they are through to represent NZ at the international competition in late May 2024. They are the only all-girl team to qualify. Spark Foundation’s mission is to accelerate digital equity with a focus on the next generation of tech thinkers and creators. The Foundation intentionally supports organisations and initiatives which encourage more Māori, Pasifika and other youth disproportionately impacted by inequity to explore a future in technology. Spark Foundation have contributed $5,000 to Sage Engineering’s mission but they need a little more to close the gap so if you have a few dollars to spare, consider donating to their Givealittle fundraiser linked below.

Inclusion, that is, creating an inclusive environment and culture, is so important for organisations to get right. It's particularly important for organisations in the STEM sphere, because innovation is so closely aligned with the diversity of the team. It's important to recognise that to be effective in making advances and improvements it is essential to include different expertise, experience, personality types, cognitive approach, etc. I'd also like to challenge the concept of "shared core values". A team might well have what they consider to be shared values, but are those values the only ones? Lived experience has taught me that when very different people come together, the overlap of "values" might be small: but sharing values isn't a case of doing a Venn diagram "Intersection", but of doing a "Union". Working with different people should teach us all to expand our "Core Values". That's what "Inclusiveness" implies. IOP has done a great job in developing this award. Lots of learning for all!

In celebration of National Engineers Week, here are some fantastic children's books about female engineers. In 2024 women remain underrepresented in engineering! It is still considered a 'male' field. The stats tell us that 🤷🏼♀️, with the % of engineering bachelors degrees awarded to women (U.S.) only increased from 17.8% in 2010 to 22.5% in 2019. Hopefully books like these 👇🏻 will ignite girls' interest in engineering and show them that this playing field is as much for girls as it is for boys…. We all know that the kids of today will become the engineers of tomorrow… designing and building our world — so let's make sure that plenty of their voices are female 🙌🏻! #womeninengineering #womenintech

Growing up in a community where financial struggles were the norm, dreaming of a career in engineering seemed almost audacious. While I had the drive and the passion, the world of engineering felt distant, both economically and socially. Being a gay, white male from a lower socioeconomic background added layers of complexity to my journey. The professional world, at times, felt exclusive and isolating, with very few stories that echoed my own experiences. The early years of my engineering career were filled with a dichotomy of pride and trepidation. On the one hand, I was breaking barriers from my background, and on the other, I often grappled with the weight of my dual identity - my sexuality and my socioeconomic origins. This was particularly heightened when I wanted to do my PhD with a sponsoring organisation from the Middle East. A turning point came when being open about my concerns with my future supervisors, who allayed any concerns. After sharing my concerns, my perspective shifted. I grew more confident in my skills and more importantly, in the unique perspective I brought to the engineering world. I realise that our stories, however underrepresented, have the power to inspire and encourage others like us. For those intrigued, I've put together a video which delves deeper into my experiences and pivotal moments. It’s a raw account, a testament to the importance of finding or becoming the beacon for others. In conclusion, the world of engineering, like any other, thrives on diverse stories and experiences. Role models illuminate paths, ensuring everyone, regardless of their background or identity, sees a place for themselves. If my narrative resonates with you or reminds you of a familiar journey, and if you feel the need for a chat, consider sending me a DM. Let’s collectively highlight the importance of diverse role models in the world of engineering. Link: https://lnkd.in/dQmgU95h