WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Are we finally closing the gender gap when it comes to women in stem, science, technology, engineering and math? In 2016, only seven percent of female graduates earned a degree in stem as opposed to 15 percent of males. Meet one woman working hard to change that.
For Olga Pierrakos, Founding Chair & Professor of the Department of Engineering at Wake Forest University, there are no boundaries when it comes to women in engineering.
“My mom jokes that as a toddler I used to take apart little trains,” Pierrakos told Ivanhoe.
But in college, Pierrakos noticed the lack of women in her field.
“I went through 11 years at Virginia Tech without having a female professor,” she said.
Now as the founding chair of the Department of Engineering at Wake Forest University, she’s determined to change that.
“Right now we can say we have 42% women,” Pierrakos explained.
That’s compared to only 15 percent female college stem students nationwide. Pierrakos is aimed at changing the culture.
“To raise their hand, do not be afraid to ask those questions,”
Hannah Grimm, Wake Forest Engineering Major, says she doesn’t feel intimidated pursuing a male-dominated degree.
Grimm told Ivanhoe, “I actually like when I’m being overlooked because then it gives me a chance to prove that I shouldn’t be.”
Regan O’Donnell, Wake Forest Engineering Major, says most people are a little shocked she chose to be an engineering major.
“Their first reaction is oh my god it’s so hard how can you be doing that?” O’Donnell said.
Both enjoy the challenge and say Pierrakos is a mentor and role model.
She advises, “Find the right peers, the right teachers that give you that positive energy.”
It’s not family or career. It’s family and career!
“I have 4 kids so family is something that is very, very important to me,” Pierrakos said.
Good advice for men and women.
Pierrakos is creating a partnership with the medical school to foster an interest in biomedical engineering. To learn more about the engineering program at Wake Forest University please visit http://college.wfu.edu/engineering/. By the way, Perrakos’s focus is improving medical devices, specifically prosthetic heart valves and stents.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS REPORT, PLEASE CONTACT:
Kimberly McGrath, PR Wake Forest University
(336) 758-3209
Contributor(s) to this news report include: Janna Ross, Producer; Roque Correa, Videographer and Editor.
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