Will implementing women's programs be enough to minimize the gender gap in STEM at the U of Wyoming?

There are many opportunities to actively minimize the gender gap in the University of Wyoming’s STEM fields, and there are women across multiple departments who are putting the effort in. Specifically, Teddi Freedman of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Emily Vercoe of the Own It! Awards, Shawna McBride of the Women in Math, Science and Engineering (WiMSE) program, and Ann Gibbons of the Society of Women Engineers.

Mentorship program for female engineering students

Teddi Freedman piloted the first College of Engineering and Applied Science Mentorship program where she matched five female engineering students with female alumni from their college. She says in an online interview that she was inspired to start this program because of the “obvious gender gap (…) pursuing engineering at UW”. She explains that her program was met with “very positive feedback and encouragement from faculty, and in particular, support from (their) dean Michael Pishko”. In regard to how this enrollment may be impacting STEM at UW, she says not enough time has passed to note any significant changes, though the response from the female students involved was very encouraging and that the students were excited to be in such a program. While this may not have a statistically significant impact on the enrollment rates of young women, it may play a role in maintaining female student enrollment and to boost morale among the students. As explained here, the presence of a female role model in the STEM field can play a very significant role on the student in question, so pairing up these students personally with that role model has the potential to truly impact their experience. As per the college’s total enrollment of female students, Freedman explains that the goal is to achieve 20% female enrollment by 2020, and they are hoping to attain that goal through “direct recruitment and targeted programming, like (their) female mentor program”.

Awarding female success in STEM fields

Emily Vercoe, the Education, Outreach and Diversity Coordinator of the Wyoming National Science Foundation EPSCoR (a federal grant program which “enables Wyoming to be nationally competitive in science and technology”), explains how the Own It! Awards came into fruition over the recent years. She explains that their “goal is not to increase female participation in STEM, but to celebrate the achievements of women who are often overlooked on campus.” She said they may “indirectly impact the numbers of women in STEM, but there is no way to say.” The premise of the Own It! Awards is to reward “a woman student, STEM professional, faculty, or community member who has made significant contributions to her field of research; who demonstrates service, leadership and mentoring among her peer group; who inspires teaching and learning among her community; and is deserving of celebrating.” Vercoe states that this form of recognition can be “fundamental in encouraging young women to participate in science”.35

Involving female students across all STEM programs to career exposure

The Women in Math, Science and Engineering (WiMSE) program, headed by Shawna McBride, is a program on campus to involve female students in STEM programs. The goals of the organization include providing academic and personal support to these women, to encourage their professional development, to foster academic achievement and to promote STEM fields at the university level. One of the most notable opportunities provided by this organization are the weekly meetings with women in STEM on campus. These meetings range from thesis presentations to resume workshops to employment opportunity conventions. These opportunities follow the presented model of familiarizing female students with female professionals in their fields, to serve both as an inspiration and as a guide throughout the undergraduate and graduate programs. Through this organization, female students are able to build connections with others in their programs, as well as with peers in other fields. The exposure to successful STEM women on a weekly or biweekly basis encourages students that professional success is obtainable and realistic.36

500 Women Scientists, a national program to encourage female participation in the sciences, also has a chapter at the University of Wyoming, headed by Shawna McBride. This program, though relatively new, has partnered with WiMSE to host the UW STEM Expo, where they connected undergraduate and graduate students with opportunities in STEM at UW, including potential majors, research experiences, fellowships, grants and internships. This event featured presentation booths, talks from faculty and networking, all with a spotlight on women in STEM specific to UW. 2017 was the inaugural event for this exposition, and it’s planned to continue on an annual basis.37

Joining women in engineering together to build a community network

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) provides resources for female students in all programs in the College of Engineering and Applied Science, with an emphasis on encouraging women to achieve their full potential in careers as engineers and leaders, to expand the image of the engineering profession as a positive force in improving the quality of life and demonstrate the value of diversity. As explained by the group, the intimidation of being in a class with a very small percentage of women can be intimidating, but the supportive network of this organization can allow them to recognize there are other female students in their field across campus, making it so they feel less out of place. Relating to the idea of the imposter syndrome, a lack of confidence can be a major factor in the funneling out of women in STEM at higher levels of education. As stated by SWE President Ann Gibbons, “there’s a support system for us in industry to give us confidence. (…) Hopefully we can show girls what it’s like to work in a professional career, and give them an idea of what it will be like beyond school.”38

Along the lines of inspiring confidence and building a strong support system within women in STEM, the Phi Sigma Rho Social and Philanthropic Sorority for Women in Engineering encourages UW students to build bonds with other women on campus, both in their own degree path and with those in other forms of engineering. This organization often partners with SWE, providing mock interview opportunities and informational meetings about job opportunities, as well as annual conferences entitled WomEngineering, where they connect with girls in sixth through eighth grade to encourage engagement in STEM fields. Similarly to WomEngineering, this group leads the Women in STEM conference each May, which brings about 500 junior and senior high school students from across the state of Wyoming to UW for hands on workshops and lab tours with professionals in the fields.39

Along with these specific programs for women in STEM, the university as a whole is encouraging women in Conservation Biology and Ecology by offering academic scholarships specifically for female students. The availability of scholarship opportunities that are specific to women encourage participation in the sciences, with an additional understanding that financial implications may be hindering bright students from pursuing a difficult path.

Clearly, there have been very important movements at the University of Wyoming to encourage women to join STEM programs over the recent years. Though it is too early to see any direct impact on enrollment or graduate rates of women considering the majority of these programs have been implemented within the past 4 years, the morale boost and the engagement of these students on campus shows a level of excitement that can’t be measured. These young women now have the outlet to involve themselves with that is related to their field, that encourages support and networking, that openly addresses stereotypes and statistics, and that encourages community within the STEM fields.

See references for links to all cited sources.

See A Dichotomy of Realities - An Analysis of Gender in STEM at the University of Wyoming to read more.