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March is Women’s History Month!

Two  years ago Women’s History Month’s national theme was “Women Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination: Celebrating Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.” The theme honored generations of women who throughout American history have used their intelligence, imagination, sense of wonder, and tenacity to make extraordinary contributions to the STEM fields. At UMBC we honored this theme by partnering with the Center for Women in Technology (CWIT) to feature some of their amazing students participating in technology in the engineering and information technology fields. Three years later, we still find it meaningful and important to continue spotlighting the stories of UMBC’s CWIT women and with the 2015 theme of “Weaving the Stories of Women’s Lives” there’s no better time than now to continue weaving the stories of our campus ITE women into the fabric of women’s history and current day lived experiences. So with that, we are honored to bring you the 3rd Annual CWIT Showcase in honor of Women’s History Month.

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Claudette Dupont
Mechanical Engineering
CWIT T-Site Scholar

Meet Claudette!

Describe what sparked your interest STEM and the journey to choosing your major.

After graduating from high school in 2003, I pursued a career in the sport of showing dogs in American Kennel Club dog shows. I was nationally ranked in Junior Handling and placed in big-ticket events including The Westminster Kennel Club show. For over ten years, I worked for some of the most well-known professional dog handlers in the country, but in the summer of 2009 I injured myself and decided I needed a more secure career. Dog showing will always be my hobby, but I wanted to go to community college to get a business degree so I could manage my own dog-boarding kennel.

So how did I go from dog handler to mechanical engineer?

Claudette during her dog show days.

While I was pursuing my Business Administration Degree at Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) I participated in seminars on renewable energy sources. Through these seminars, I met a project engineer from Constellation Energy group, and after listening to his seminar I asked him how he got his job – I thought it was fascinating. He explained that he had a Mechanical engineering degree and a MBA and he encouraged me to switch majors; in the same week I applied for an engineering scholars program for women and minorities at AACC. This program helped me explore engineering and introduced me to UMBC, where I was later accepted into the Center for Women in Technology T-SITE scholars program for transfer students. I have been very fortunate to have met such a great group of scholars and mentors.

Tell us about an internship, research experience or project that you are proud of.

I worked as an engineering assistant and drafter for Siemens Building Technologies in Beltsville Maryland for over 2 years. I recently accepted an internship offer for this summer at Johnson, Miriam and Thompson, a multi-disciplined architectural/engineering employee owned company.

Who are your role models in the engineering or IT field? How have their stories influenced your educational or career goals?

I was inspired by William Kamkwamba when I read his book The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope. He was an impressive boy who built a windmill to power a few electrical appliances in his family’s house in Masitala using blue gum trees, bicycle parts, and materials collected in a local scrapyard. I was inspired because he was someone who had little resources but wanted to learn and make a change in his life for the positive, which brings me to my own personal difficulties – specifically, overcoming learning challenges. I was in special education in grade school and never wanted to go to college because I thought it was unattainable. However, with the help of the Khan Academy from Salman Khan I was able to learn and tackle the math and science needed to succeed in engineering. Salman Khan, who earned three degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a MBA from Harvard Business School, has made learning attainable for those who just need a good teacher.

Explain your experience as a woman in a STEM major working with other women in STEM. How have you used each other to support your work and persevere in male-dominated fields?

Unfortunately, women in engineering in the HVAC field are a rarity, and I had to find support from women in the office who were not in STEM positions. Diversity in STEM fields is extremely important and I would like to mentor the next generation of young women in STEM, and I recommend looking for employers that embrace diversity.

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The Center for Women In Technology (CWIT) is dedicated to increasing the representation of women in the creation of technology in the engineering and information technology fields. CWIT efforts begin with nurturing a strong group of Scholars, grow to building community resources for other women in these majors, extend to fostering a healthy gender climate and ITE pedagogy in College of Engineering and Information Technology (COEIT) departments, and finally expand into outreach efforts to increase interest in technical careers. A successful program for female-friendly engineering and information technology education at UMBC will help make UMBC a destination for women (and men) interested in technical careers and serve as a national model for other universities.

For more information about Women’s History events and happenings, visit the Women’s Center myUMBC group page.

Name: Hiba Zia

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Federal Reserve Board | Title of Your Position: Graphic Design Intern

Major(s)/Minor(s): Graphic Design

Expected Graduation Year: May 2015

Briefly describe your internship, co-op, research, or service-learning opportunity, including your day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and assignments.

Being an intern for the Office of Inspector General at the Federal Reserve Board for the summer was an outstanding experience and I was extremely heavy hearted that I was only there for the summer. Luckily, I landed an opportunity to be an intern for the year at the Board but for a different division. I am now interning at the Office of Chief Data Officer. What I love most about my internship are the people I encounter everyday. They have insightful advice and are always willing to help. Some of the assignments I complete include website implementation, branding and marketing, and also developing templates for reports and documents.

Describe the process of obtaining your internship, research, or co-op opportunity.

I obtained my internship by applying to every opportunity that was relative to my major.

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization/company?

I love that I work on varieties of projects. I enjoy coming into work not knowing what assignments I will work on. I also love the office side of my internship as opposed to working in a studio. Even though I take three trains and a shuttle to get to my building, I enjoy my commute I wouldn't trade it for anything.

What have you gained from your experience that you could not have gained from another opportunity?

I have gained the experience of working as a graphic designer in the office environment. Other internships I have had, I worked from home or a studio.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

I advise that you apply early and don't wait til last minute. The federal Reserve board is always looking for interns!

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This year's national theme is Weaving the Stories of Women's Lives. "There is a real power in hearing women's stories, both personally and in a larger context. Remembering and recounting tales of our ancestors' talents, scarifies, and commitments inspires today's generations and opens the way to the future."

We invite you to check out UMBC's Women's History Month calendar. Several campus departments, including GWST and Psychology, will be hosting keynotes and lectures related to women's issues and research. For the third year in a row, we'll also be spotlighting students from the CWIT community  as they continue to pave an important path in our history that gives voice and experience to women in the ITE fields. You can follow the spotlights on the Women's Center blog. The Women's Center is also excited to focus our WHM programming around Telling Our Stories.

Follow the Women's Center on facebook, twitter, and our blog for Women's History updates throughout the month.

For a full list of all the campus events, download the calendar here.