Utah State University partners with Women Tech Council
Utah State University recently partnered with the Women Tech Council to create the Student Innovators group, which aims to help more women receive degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The Women Tech Council, a national organization “focused on the economic impact of women in driving high growth for the technology sector,” aims to increase the number of women pursuing fields through mentorship programs and networking opportunities, according to the group’s website.
Camille Knudson, a member of the organization, often finds herself stretched thin between working full-time, raising three children and studying management information systems at the USU-Tooele campus.
However, Knudson said participating in the council has enhanced her educational experience and provided opportunities for her to network with professionals in her field, which she said can be difficult as a non-traditional student.
Knudson said the program is particularly useful for helping college women feel confident in their education and future STEM careers.
“I think it’s kind of important that we get the word out as much as possible that girls can do this, and we’re just as capable, if not even more capable,” she said. “It’s just a really positive and great environment.”
Sara Jones, the chief operating officer and co-founder of the council, said she began the organization in 2007 to increase the visibility, opportunities and network for women in STEM fields, particularly in in the information technology field.
“We want them to know that the stereotype of people who go into STEM, particularly the IT field, is not true,” Jones said. “A lot of women that we find, even today, still have never met a woman in STEM…It feels shocking, but that’s the reality.”
According to a study by Harvard Business Review, 40 percent of women who enter a STEM major in college quit the program before they graduate or never enter the profession.
Jones, who studied engineering at USU in 1991, participated in the first annual Engineering Week, where alumni in the field participated in campus networking and educational programs.
“Those types of programs are incredibly impactful because I had no idea what an engineer did,” Jones said.
Knudson began her management information systems studies with a goal of working for a large company like O.C. Tanner or Adobe. However, participating in the Women Tech Council has prompted her to pursue a goal of providing better education and resources for women and girls in rural parts of the state.
“I want to be able to bring more to the rural areas of Utah and be able to provide more for our girls across the state and let them know that there are a ton of opportunities; there a ton of things we can do,” Knudson said. “We don’t always have to leave it up to the boys to do everything.”
Because the program aims to connect women across the state, most of their mentorship and networking is done online, Jones said.
The organization has an active Facebook account and email list, where members can find advice and be notified of upcoming opportunities.
More information is available at http://www.womentechcouncil.com/.
@alison__berg