Press Releases
Nitsch Engineering Holds 5th Annual "Introduce a Girl to Engineering" Day with Harvard University
– Nitsch Engineering, Inc., a Boston-based civil engineering, land surveying, transportation/traffic engineering, and planning firm, recently hosted its 5th annual "Introduce A Girl to Engineering" Day. More than 80 participants took part in the half-day event held at Harvard University, which focused on how earning an engineering degree can lead to various career paths.
Fifty-three 5th to 12th grade girls spent the morning learning about engineering from over a dozen women engineers at the event. The day's activities included an introduction to engineering and a panel discussion about how an undergraduate degree in engineering can be combined with an advanced degree to pave the way for a wide range of careers, including becoming a lawyer, doctor, dentist, or manager. These discussions were broken up with engineering-themed bingo, organized by engineers Erin Venezia, Katherine Maker, Nicole Holmes, Cheeta Soga, and Chelsea Christenson, PE from Nitsch Engineering. In addition, Deborah Humiston at Ultimate Treasure Hunts organized a GPS treasure hunt on the Harvard Law School Quad.
"After years of growth, the percentage of female U.S. engineers has stalled at just 10% - nowhere near the parity that we believe can be achieved," said Judy Nitsch, President of Nitsch Engineering. "We hope that by showing girls that engineering isn't limited to very specific careers, and by demonstrating that engineering is fun, more girls – as well as their parents and teachers – will realize that engineering is a rewarding career. Our firm is dedicated to raising awareness and educating others about the role that women play in engineering, and 'Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day' is an important part of that effort. We're already looking forward to planning next year's event!"
Nicole Holmes, a civil engineering graduate of Northeastern University and a project designer at Nitsch Engineering, moderated the panel discussion, which included information from:
- Cheeta Soga, a Project Designer at Nitsch Engineering. Cheeta has a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of British Columbia and an MS in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana.
- Kelly McQueeney, PE, a Civil Engineer who works in the Environmental Health and Safety Department at Harvard University. Kelly earned a BS from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and an MS from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
- Yun-Ling Wong, a doctoral candidate in biological engineering at Harvard University. Ling earned BS degrees in Chemical Engineering and Biology from MIT.
- Mary Neuner Caravella, a doctoral candidate in Business Administration at Harvard University. Mary earned a BS in Electrical Engineering from Marquette University and an MBA from Harvard University.
- Stephanie Pollack, Esq., an environmental attorney at BlueWave Strategies. Stephanie earned BS degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Mechanical Engineering and Public Policy, and a JD from Harvard Law School.
Started by the National Society for Professional Engineers, the Society of Women Engineers, and IBM in 2001, Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day aims to increase interest in math and science among girls. Now organized by the National Engineers Week Foundation (http://www.eweek.org), Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day has become a global event, reaching over one million young women each year.
About Ultimate Treasure Hunts
Deborah Humiston founded Ultimate Treasure Hunts (www.ultimatetreasurehunts.com) to teach orienteering skills to children and adults. Orienteering involves a type of treasure hunt, in which participants use a hand drawn map, a compass, GPS technology, and clues directed at the age/ability of the participants to find an actual treasure chest. By working as a team to find a treasure, orienteering teaches valuable lessons about decision making and problem solving.