In a three-part series beginning today and continuing until Thursday, The Daily Illini is taking a look at what it’s like to be a female engineering student. Today’s story explains how women engineers relate to faculty; Wednesday’s story will cover how women engineers relate to their peers; and Thursday’s story will discuss how they relate to youths.This academic year, women make up 10 percent of tenure system faculty and 17 percent of undergraduates in the College of Engineering ­­— making these percentages the lowest of any college at the University, said Liz Stern, associate director for the Division of Management Information.

Being part of this minority causes problems for some women in engineering.

Kristina Kremer, junior in civil engineering and president of the University’s branch of the Society of Women Engineers, or SWE, said an issue some female students face arises when they do not understand class material. She said some do not ask for help from instructors because they are embarrassed.

Responses from a 2007 anonymous online survey conducted by the University’s section of SWE reflect this opinion. The survey was sent to all female engineering students at the University, and 15 percent of the college’s female population responded.

“I once had a TA who would consistently belittle me in front of classmates during discussion because I asked too many questions,” said one anonymous respondent. “Other students were also confused but he routinely singled me out. I was the only female in the class and I think this was a significant factor in regards to his treatment of me.”

However, Kremer said women should not be afraid to ask questions because they can earn respect by admitting they do not know how to do something.

“That’s something that was hard for me to do, say ‘Hey, I don’t understand what’s going on,’” Kremer said. “I think it’s commanding respect when you can admit that.”

However, Claire Slupski, freshman in mechanical engineering, said all of her professors treat her with respect. “They don’t treat me any differently than they would a male student,” she said.

Some female students feel that professors and teaching assistants assume they are not as capable as their male classmates. “I’ve had TAs that would always come over to the group of all girls even though we were probably better off than a lot of the other groups,” said Jenny Tsao, senior in general engineering.

Tsao, former president of the University’s SWE chapter, said campus groups like SWE and the engineering sorority Alpha Omega Epsilon are constantly trying to eliminate gender discrimination.

According to a proposal given to the dean of the College of Engineering by SWE, faculty should be required to attend diversity training workshops. The proposal also called for a student liaison who would speak to faculty members whom students might be hesitant to talk to themselves.

While women have represented 15 to 17 percent of engineering students for the past 10 years, women have not made up more than 10 percent of tenure system faculty in the college over the same amount of time. Female engineering faculty totals have increased about 4 percent since the 2000-01 academic year.

Susan Larson, assistant dean for the College of Engineering and director of Women in Engineering, said the percentage of women involved in engineering decreases with each level of academic achievement. There are a certain number of female engineering undergraduates, fewer graduate students and even fewer professors, she said.

Larson said she thinks female engineering students would benefit from having more female professors.

“Women, like men, benefit from good teachers,” she said. “It’s always an added benefit if that teacher looks like you.”

Larson said the college is putting forth a great effort to try to identify women who could join the faculty as professors. “We are always trying to hire good engineers, good engineering faculty; we are particularly looking for good women engineers,” she said.

David Lange, engineering professor and associate department head of civil engineering, also said female students would benefit from seeing women who are successful in the field.

“I think it is important to try to recruit women faculty because it mirrors the student population,” Lange said.

However, he said he is not targeting a specific number of women faculty for his department.

Kremer said she has had one female professor and one female teaching assistant in her engineering classes at the University.

She said most of the professors she has had, both male and female, have been very helpful. She added that she has not learned more from a woman than from a man. However, she said that the female professor she has a class with this semester better understands her situation as a woman in engineering.

“She really understands that we’re kind of coming from a different place,” Kremer said.

Suzy Abou Ezzi, junior in industrial engineering, said she has not connected with any female professors. “I’ve had some great male professors who are very personable and who make the atmosphere feel very comfortable,” she added.

Abou Ezzi said knowing there are women in the engineering workforce is more helpful to her than knowing there are female engineering professors because she does not want to go into academia. She added that women in engineering would benefit from seeing female company representatives at job fairs and events.

While there might be a shortage of female faculty, there is no scarcity of campus groups that allow female engineering students to find role models and seek out their own leadership positions.

Kremer said she finds her role models in SWE rather than from the classroom due to the low number of female faculty.

She said if it were not for the SWE members who convinced her to change majors from engineering physics to civil engineering, she would have dropped out of engineering altogether.

However, relying only on peer support might not be enough. Lange said when female students are choosing their career paths, being able to look up to women working in the field is helpful.

“I think having role models is always important,” he added.

Milestones for female engineering at UI ________________________________________________________________

1909: Louise Pellens graduates with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering

1919: Beryl Bristow graduates with an A.M. in physics and engineering

1922: Grace G. Spencer graduates with a bachelor’s in chemical engineering

1923: Fay M. Spencer graduates with a bachelor’s in aeronautical and astronautical engineering

1927: Kathleen B. Krueger graduates with a bachelor’s in ceramic engineering; Mrs. Kenneth E. Worthing graduates with an A.M. in theoretical engineering

1930: Leora K. Taylor graduates with an M.S. in physics

1945: Chapter of American Society of Women Engineers and Architects founded at the University

1960: Chapter of Society of Women Engineers founded at the University

1972: Judith Liebman becomes the first tenure-track female faculty member in engineering at the University

2010: University hosts the Society of Women Engineers’ Region H Conference for the first time