Kennesaw State hosted a daylong recruitment event called “Scientista” on Feb. 20 designed to educate more than 65 high school students about careers offered in science, technology, engineering and math fields.
Dr. Renee Butler, assistant dean of operations at the college of engineering and engineering technology who spearheaded the effort, said the purpose of Scientista is twofold: “First, to expose women to opportunities in STEM fields. And second, to recruit those women to enroll in our programs at KSU.”
The high school students who attended Scientista were given an in-depth tour of KSU’s state-of-the-art science facilities and were allowed to handle laboratory equipment and circuit boards under the guidance of current KSU students and faculty.
Prospective students also sat in on a panel discussion and heard from current students about the many career choices and fields available to women in STEM fields.
“We [need to] introduce girls to diverse STEM fields so they understand that they can be a computer security analyst, environmental engineer, biotechnology expert or math educator,” said Sarah Holliday, one of the organizers of Scientista.
Scientista also allowed high school students who have applied and been accepted to KSU to connect with STEM faculty.
“We had a number of attendees who had already applied to KSU and were excited to meet faculty and hear about careers in their field,” Butler said. “At the end of the day, I do feel that we had an impact on the attendees. They learned that engineers make a real difference in the world and that we need more women to enter careers in engineering and STEM.”
Scientista is part of KSU’s larger mission to give more women the resources needed to pursue STEM careers and close the gender gap in STEM fields.
According to the Marietta Daily Journal, the number of women pursuing STEM majors at KSU has increased by more than 1,000 in the past five years, jumping from 2,391 students in fall 2012 to 3,456 students this past fall.
During a Cobb Legislative Delegation meeting last December, then-President Sam Olens said there is a shortage of female students and faculty on the Marietta campus, according to the MDJ.
He said the university needs to make an effort to create a more welcoming environment for female students on the STEM-heavy campus.
STEM students can find more opportunities and events on KSU’s “We are STEM strong” website. Several opportunities will be coming up in March and April for STEM students to showcase the work they have done at KSU.
