Here is more of my conversation with Celeste.

Are more women getting into technical programs then before? Why do you think that is?

According to “Inside Higher Ed” on August 7, 2007, women are enrolling in engineering and technology programs at a much higher rate than previously found. Fields such as biomedical engineering or technology and environmental engineering or technology show the highest increases. When you study the numbers, many of the career tracks that attract girls are multidisciplinary.

What’s the best way to appeal to women?

Not many students know their career path at 16, 19 or even 21. One of the easiest strategies for attracting women is to broaden the outcome of their degree. Women want to know that they have choices. Diverse and plentiful opportunities exist for the educated non-mainstream technologist or engineer with a good understanding of scientific and technical subjects. Highlighting that a degree in technology or engineering means that, in addition to a great career as a technologist or engineer, they can also be a writer, teacher, politician, businessperson, doctor, or lawyer. These professions require analytical, integrative, and problem-solving abilities, all of which are part of a technology education. Thus, a technology degree offers an ideal undergraduate education for living and working in today’s technologically dependent society.

Tomorrow we will talk to Celeste on how she started in her career.

Mark Viquesney