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BAE Alumni & Friends 1 Summer 2003 In This Issue Opening the Way for Women in Engineering Practice ........ 1 Faculty News ......................... 2 Department Head’s Comments ............................. 3 Women’s Historical Educational Milestones ......... 4 Insights From BAE Women in Engineering Practice ............. 4 Perspectives of BAE Alumnae ................................ 5 Spring Graduate Listing ....... 8 Visit the BAE home page at: http://www.bae.ncsu.edu Fax comments & questions to: BAE News 919-515-6772 continued on page 2 Creating a new tradition... This year’s Student Awards and Honors were presented at an informal luncheon/ cookout. Hosted by the BAE Club branch of the ASAE, they served hotdogs, hamburgers, and all the fixin’s. Alumni wishing to attend BAE events should give the main office a call. All events are listed on the BAE website calendar button. Opening the Way for Women in Engineering Practice A hundred years ago, women’s activities were primarily domestic, involving child nurturing and homemaking. Yet, women have always sought outlets to exercise their deeper intellectual capabilities despite their roles. If one truth is universal about culture it is that those societies that invite and en- courage intellectual freedom for everyone are healthier, happier places to live. For women specifi- cally, this means building and broadening their lives beyond the home and utilizing all of their unique potential and intellectual wealth for the benefit of society. An achievement of the 20th century is the increase in the number of women earning advanced degrees, challenging cultural norms, and taking advantage of technology that frees up time for women to learn and participate in the workplace. Women have made many gains, although it has been a long and arduous struggle. A timeline outlines some educational milestones achieved by U.S. women on pages 4 and 5. The improving statistics for women in engineering fields is a positive indication that women are moving in a forward direction. Opportunities are opening up for women with the right combination of skills and qualifications. Opportunities are even greater for graduates who have participated in intern- ships, field research experiences, and part-time engineering work experiences. The engineering industry is seeking diversity in its workforce by realizing that it is good business to invite people of different backgrounds and genders. In a global economy that spans many cultures, tackling problems from many viewpoints is essential. There are several positive aspects of having women in the engineering workforce. First, it brings women’s knowledge base to light, utilizing their unique thought and problem-solving patterns and skills. Second, it can add additional richness to the spectrum of concerns and directions to take in solving problems in engineering fields. The National Science Foundation (NSF) reported in 2000 that women Several BAE students present a senior design project. More women are in the BAE program than ever before.

Summer 2003 NCSU Bio and Ag Alumni and Friends Newsletter

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Page 1: Summer 2003 NCSU Bio and Ag Alumni and Friends Newsletter

BAE Alumni & Friends – 1

Summer 2003

In This Issue Opening the Way for Women

in Engineering Practice ........ 1Faculty News ......................... 2Department Head’sComments ............................. 3Women’s HistoricalEducational Milestones ......... 4Insights From BAE Women inEngineering Practice ............. 4Perspectives of BAEAlumnae ................................ 5Spring Graduate Listing ....... 8

Visit the BAE home page at:http://www.bae.ncsu.eduFax comments & questions to:BAE News 919-515-6772

continued on page 2

Creating a newtradition... Thisyear’s StudentAwards andHonors werepresented atan informalluncheon/cookout.

Hosted by the BAE Club branch ofthe ASAE, they served hotdogs,hamburgers, and all the fixin’s.Alumni wishing to attend BAE events shouldgive the main office a call. All events arelisted on the BAE website calendar button.

Opening the Way for Women inEngineering Practice

A hundred years ago, women’sactivities were primarily domestic,involving child nurturing andhomemaking. Yet, women havealways sought outlets to exercisetheir deeper intellectual capabilitiesdespite their roles. If one truth isuniversal about culture it is thatthose societies that invite and en-courage intellectual freedom foreveryone are healthier, happierplaces to live. For women specifi-cally, this means building andbroadening their lives beyond the home and utilizing all of their uniquepotential and intellectual wealth for the benefit of society.

An achievement of the 20th century is the increase in the number ofwomen earning advanced degrees, challenging cultural norms, and takingadvantage of technology that frees up time for women to learn and participatein the workplace. Women have made many gains, although it has been a longand arduous struggle. A timeline outlines some educational milestonesachieved by U.S. women on pages 4 and 5.

The improving statistics for women in engineering fields is a positiveindication that women are moving in a forward direction. Opportunities areopening up for women with the right combination of skills and qualifications.Opportunities are even greater for graduates who have participated in intern-ships, field research experiences, and part-time engineering work experiences.The engineering industry is seeking diversity in its workforce by realizing thatit is good business to invite people of different backgrounds and genders. In aglobal economy that spans many cultures, tackling problems from manyviewpoints is essential. There are several positive aspects of having women inthe engineering workforce. First, it brings women’s knowledge base to light,utilizing their unique thought and problem-solving patterns and skills. Second,it can add additional richness to the spectrum of concerns and directions totake in solving problems in engineering fields.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) reported in 2000 that women

Several BAE students present a seniordesign project. More women are in theBAE program than ever before.

Page 2: Summer 2003 NCSU Bio and Ag Alumni and Friends Newsletter

2 – BAE Alumni & Friends

Department Head James YoungWriter Carolyn MitkowskiGraphics/Layout Carolyn MitkowskiEditor Rhonda ShermanAdvisor Mike Boyette

BAE Alumni&Friends is a semi-annualpublication of the Biological andAgricultural Engineering Department,North Carolina State University, Box7625, Raleigh, NC 27695-7625.

If you would like to contribute to the nextissue of BAE Alumni&Friends, pleasesend your contributions to the aboveaddress or email us at:[email protected].

○ continued on page 3

Opening the Way continued from page 1Faculty Newsrepresented 10 percent of the engineering workforceworldwide. The first chart below shows the ratio ofmales and females who earned bachelor degrees in theU.S.

Despite their professional gains, women are stillunder-represented in engineering fields. More publiceducation about this issue is needed to promote engi-neering education and the professional retention ofwomen. As women generally lean toward engineeringissues that focus on helping and protecting things,promoting it from this aspect should make engineeringa more attractive choice. Early hands-on learning andexposure to the vast array of career choices in theengineering realm can help.

Retaining women in engineering jobs is another challenge. More woman-to-woman mentoring experiences and female role models are key to increasingnumbers of women both entering the field and staying the course. Womenengineers need to shed any misplaced expectations to prove themselves or out-perform others just because they are women. Women tend to be hard onthemselves and other women in an effort to avoid displaying gender bias.Women need to encourage each other by promoting more women-to-womennetworking and collaboration. To become more comfortable in the field,women should seek out mentoring opportunities, taking advantage of the

experiences of others.Addressing women’s pay

compensation to makeengineering worth the effortis yet another issue. NSFdata reveals that women starttheir careers with pay similarto men, but over time looseground. In general, womenearn between $3,000 to$10,000 less than their malecounterparts. Cited as onepossible cause is the fact thatwomen tend to move in andout of the work-force morefrequently, interrupting theircareers, and not attaining aconsistency which wouldbring them recognition andvoice at managerial levels.The search for equalitythrough reaching higherlevels professionally isstill on-going. !

A student studies adata sheet to solve atechnical problem.

Earned Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering by Sex

numbers in the thousands

Median Annual Salaries of U. S. Engineers

Years Since Degree

Several New Tenure-TrackFaculty Are Appointed

Dr. Ratna Sharma is the first oftwo new female professors to behired for research and teaching inbioprocessing. Sharma comes to usafter receiving her PhD from Penn-sylvania State University and work-ing as a teaching assistant there. Herdoctorate was in processing for valueaddition to food products with anemphasis on food safety.

Dr. Mari Chinn will arrive inAugust also for research and teach-ing in bioprocessing. She will beginher career here after earning herPhD from the University of Ken-tucky. She is interested in microbialfermentations applied in the area ofvalue-added bioconversion for theproduction of bio-based industrialproducts.

Both bioprocessing professors areeager to engage our BAE students intheir interest areas.

continued on page 4

Page 3: Summer 2003 NCSU Bio and Ag Alumni and Friends Newsletter

BAE Alumni & Friends – 3

Department Head’s Comments○

James H. Young

This SeniorDesign teampresented itsproject at thisyear’s under-graduatesymposium,

winning a monetary award. From left toright, top row: Lindsay Sallach, BlakeEdwards, Julie Poore, Laura Hill. Onthe bottom row are Jaci Harrell, andStephanie Southard, Note: This teamwas almost all women. In the future thisworkplace workgroup scenario may notbe uncommon.

Faculty Newscontinued from page 2

Dr. Gary Grabow has moved toa tenure-track assistant professorposition in the department with anextension/teaching appointment.He will apply his expertise in waterquality issues to the animal wastearea as it relates to wastewatermanagement.

Grabow has twenty years ofexperience in water resources and astrong background in irrigation,hydrology, hydraulics, water quality,and statistical analysis.

Dr. Sanjay Shah will join thedepartment in August with anextension/teaching appointmentwith an emphasis on the area of airquality as affected by animal produc-tion facilities. He comes to us fromWest Virginia where he has served inextension for approximately threeyears after receiving his PhD fromVirginia Tech.

Former FacultyWilliam E. Splinter has been

named as the 2003 honoree to theNebraska Hall of AgriculturalAchievement. Splinter taught inthe BAE dept. for 14 years beforebecoming a professor at Universityof Nebraska-Lincoln. !

The BAE department has been very fortunate duringthe past six months to employ a number of new facultymembers. This has been aided by the two new positionsprovided to the department by the Provost following thedecision to create a separate biomedical engineeringdepartment to which Drs. Blanchard and Mente will betransferred.

Two new positions in the area of bioprocess engineeringhave been filled which are expected to greatly improve ourcapabilities in this important concentration area. Dr.Ratna Sharma began her appointment in the department onMay 1st and Dr. Mari Chinn will begin in August. It is

anticipated that these positions will emphasize research and teaching in the area ofproduction of energy and/or value-added products from biological materials. Thiswork is expected to reduce our dependence on imported oil and to help rejuvenatethe rural economy of North Carolina.

We have also filled two tenure-track positions with extension/teaching appoint-ments. On May 1st, Dr. Garry Grabow began his new responsibilities as an assistantprofessor in the area of management of wastewater from animal production systems.In August, Dr. Sanjay Shah will join the department with responsibilities in the areaof air quality and odors related to animal production systems.

These four new tenure-track faculty members will each have some teaching responsi-bilities. This is part of an attempt within the department to better integrate the threefunctions of a land grant university. The same individuals who conduct cutting edgeresearch and/or develop outstanding extension programs will be involved in passingalong information to undergraduate and graduate students in the department.

We also welcome Dr. Frank Abrams back to the BAE department. He willactually have an appointment which is one-half in BAE and one-half in the newBME department.

In addition, Dr. Mike Burchell, who recently completed his PhD in the depart-ment, has accepted an Extension Assistant Professor position to work in the streamand wetland restoration and water quality area. Mr. Dan Clinton and Mr. Kris Bass(both MS graduates of the department) have also accepted positions as ExtensionAssociates.

I would also like to express my appreciation to the Executive Committee of theNorth Carolina Section of ASAE for planning a very successful program in May on“Confronting Legal Issues in the Practice of Engineering.” Mike Boyette and LarryCoats were specially involved in the development of the program. Also, Ann Griffinand Ervin Humphries deserve special recognition for their work in planning the firstannual Bob Bottcher Memorial Golf Tournament which was held on Thursday, May1st prior to the State Section Meeting. Proceeds from the tournament went to theRobert W. Bottcher Memorial Biological and Agricultural Engineering Endowment.This endowment will provide assistance in the way of flexible operating funds for anew assistant professor in the department with special consideration for a facultymember conducting research in the air quality area.

The Bottcher Endowment is one of many ways through which you can supportthe BAE department and its students. Some of these are listed at the following URL:http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/alumni/scholarship_contributions.html.

As state support of the university has decreased, contributions from alumni andfriends of the department play an increasingly critical role in helping us to carry outour mission. Thanks for your continued support.

Student News

Page 4: Summer 2003 NCSU Bio and Ag Alumni and Friends Newsletter

4 – BAE Alumni & Friends

Insights from BAE Women inEngineering Practice

BAE has written its own unique women’s history and the charts onthese pages reveal BAE’s progress and future potential opportunities.Women first arrived in BAE at a time coinciding with the 1974 Women’sEducation Equity Act, promoting opportunities for women in education. In1978, the first woman engineer, Elaine Plauche, graduated from our under-graduate program with a SBE degree. In 1980, women first earned graduatedegrees at BAE; Nagwa El-Shaik, of Egypt, was awarded the first MS andPitsamai Purisinsit, of Thailand, received the first PhD. Then in 1991,Linda Leigh became the first African-American woman to earn an under-graduate degree from BAE. From 1978-89, BAE graduated 21 womenengineers. A lull in the numbers followed until the mid-1990s when adramatic upsurge coincided with the introduction of biomedical engineer-ing at BAE. Women were attracted to the helping and healing aspects ofBME. A total of 120 women engineers have graduated from the departmentto date.

Prior to the 1970s, engineering (especially agricultural engineering, dueto its labor intensiveness and machinery scale) was considered a male-oriented study area. With recent new technologies and methods developing,this factor is now diminishing. Environmental studies have also becomemore attractive to women. Women are truly enjoying the outdoors andrealizing they can study environmental subjects successfully. Field sites arenow more accessible with the use of 4-wheel drive vehicles. Cell phones arethe latest technology, helping women to venture out of the classrooms withincreased confidence about their safety. Bioprocessing is very inviting towomen who like to work with processes, total systems and data sortingengineering.

To learn what is working for women in the engi-neering workforce we spoke with female BAE facultyand alumni. The side-bars on pages 6-7 have up-dates and insights from two alumni who are cur-rently working in engineering.

The first person who comes to mind on the subjectof women engineers is Prof. Frances “Billie” M.Richardson. She is a first in many ways. Richardson isboth BAE’s first female faculty member and emeritusfaculty. Forty-one years at NCSU and five years atBAE, she was the only woman faculty member in the

College of Engineering for twenty of those years. She says, “I never mindedworking with men; it was always about the research and learning for me ---as it should be.” With her degrees in chemistry, Richardson has pursued andimparted her knowledge in several engineering areas such as chemistry,physics, nuclear engineering, and currently, biomedical engineering.Richardson was the first to note a strong student interest in the biomedicalaspects of engineering, so she took a year’s leave of absence to work andlearn at the well-known Department of Biomedical Engineering at Case/Western Reserve. On her return she taught biomedical engineering within

Women’s EducationHistorical Milestones! Early 1700’s - In some religiousfamilies men taught women to readthe Bible to teach children morals.! 1775 - Vacant seats in boys’classrooms during the Revolution-ary War offered girls a chance forlearning.

! Early 1820’s - The first semi-nary (women’s college) was startedin America. Other seminariesemerged as women opened smallschools to teach other women.Advanced knowledge of mathemat-ics and chemistry were taughtunder the pretense of improvingcooking and home budgeting.! 1830’s - States offered aprimary education to girls. Duringthis time a secondary education wasgaining acceptance. A college leveleducation was rare and only forthose of wealth.! In 1862 - During the chaos ofthe American Civil War, Congressestablished the Morrill Land Act,creating land-grant colleges (NCState is a land-grant university).One statement in the Act openedan opportunity for women to attendand earn a general college educa-tion: land-grant colleges are toaccept anyone who will pay,including women.Don’t get excited for women yet…! 1860 to 1899 - Some womengraduated from colleges, however,they dealt with social prejudice,educational discrimination,and financial challenges to attend.Women who did graduate had fewemployment choices, some movedout west to teach in prairie states.Women as well as men were shapingAmerica from border to border in thesecond half of the 18th century. Thisis when we see the first women onrecord completing college engineer-ing programs.

continued on page 5

Prof. F. Richardson

Page 5: Summer 2003 NCSU Bio and Ag Alumni and Friends Newsletter

BAE Alumni & Friends – 5

! Early 1900’s - The industrialrevolution’s growing cities andimmigrant populations createdmore demand for educators andother skills deemed “women safe,”like nurses and secretarial workers.The usefulness of an advancededucation for a growing countrybecame apparent. A basic educationhad become a good thing.! 1945 - World War II putwomen into traditional men’s jobs,even if only temporarily. Womenwith engineering degrees weresought out by the government— theera was emancipating for manyhomemakers and its effects are stillseen today.! 1950’s - After WW II was over,the government focused on spaceexploration and technologicalresearch. Parents of this timeyearned to provide an improved lifefocusing on their childrens educa-tion. An advanced education wasnow a coveted thing to gain. Thegovernment noted a shortage oftrained engineers for its spaceprograms and highlighted engineer-ing opportunities to the public.Engineering schools began seeingwomen as potential students.! 1960’s - As the feminist move-ment surfaced, government actshelped women gain educationalfootholds. The 1963 Equal Pay Actfirst introduced to congress in 1872finally passed. The act prohibiteddiscrimination in admissionspolicies to federally assisted educa-tional programs, opening graduatelevel programs to women.! In 1974, the Women’s Educa-tion Equity Act promoted, coordi-nated, and evaluated gender equitypolicies, evidencing discriminatorypolicies. The act funded andpromoted programs to ensure afull-range of educational opportuni-ties for women. !

Women’s Educationcontinued from page 4

“Special Topics in Chemical Engineering” and taught an elective course,“Introduction to Biomedical Engineering.” The latter attracted a steady flowof students, many of them women. Richardson joined the then all maleBAE department faculty in 1990. Her research interests complementedother ongoing department research and so did she.

Through the years, her love of engineering was expressed throughmentoring many women in engineering programs at NCSU. Richardsonsays, “It has always been important to me to see more women enjoy theengineering sciences, just as I have, and I believe strongly that mentoringand supporting women is one way to do this.” She started the StudentSection of the Society of Women Engineers at NCSU, which has wonseveral awards. An emeritus faculty for 5 years, she still makes her presencefelt in the halls of BAE. Richardson says, “It’s important that women seeother women accomplishing and improving even with age.”

Dr. Susan Blanchard teaches biomedical engineering today. She has,through hard work and dedication, helped to grow the concentrationenormously and has been a positive influence in the BAE program throughthe years. Her efforts have positioned her as a strong faculty member,supporting and championing student achievements. She carries her strengthstraight to the students and from the start inspired many young women tocontinue their studies, to find just the right combination of engineeringstudies they enjoy. Susan says, “If I feel a student is not moving in the rightdirection with his/her studies, I take the time to learn what it is he/she wantsfrom an engineering program and give him/her the advice and direction he/

Dr. Blanchard works withseveral students on a home-work problem. Seeing womenas faculty is positive.

Women helping each othercreates bonds for the future.

continued on page 6

Page 6: Summer 2003 NCSU Bio and Ag Alumni and Friends Newsletter

6 – BAE Alumni & Friends

Perspectives ofBAE Alumnae continued from page 5

BAE’s Engineering Women...

Jan Patterson is a water resourcesengineer with Earth Tech, a Raleightransportation and environmentalconsulting firm. She completed herthesis while working full-time.Patterson says, “That was one of themore difficult periods in my career,balancing work and education. Itwas well worth the effort.” Abouther job, Patterson says, “Consultingis fast-paced and can be very de-manding. I am out in the field for acouple of days then back to theoffice to pull together reports inorder to meet deadlines.” Shecontinues, “One thing I can say,I am never bored with my jobbecause daily it proves challenging.”

When Patterson is asked whatunique qualities she thinkswomen bring to water resourcesengineering, she replies, “I thinkwe tend to look at a project from adifferent perspective than our malecounterparts, which brings bal-ance.” When asked what experi-ence she has gained, Pattersonsays, “I will admit consultingengineering is a good place to getexperience juggling many hats atonce. I scope and negotiate theprojects, collect field data, writemitigation plans, prepare designplans and bid documents, andoversee construction of theprojects. There are not many othercareers that allow you to see a jobfrom start to finish.”

In addition to being an alumna,Susan Capps is a member ofBAE’s advisory board. “I think it isa great idea to focus this issue ofAlumni & Friends on women,”says Capps.

/she needs.” She continues, “I love helping students find their particularengineering niche especially, in the wide open and developing field ofbiomedical engineering.” She believes with conviction that women makegreat engineers. Blanchard says, “Getting the word out to women about thevast variety of interesting careers within the engineer realm, then taking thetime to talk with perspective students in a one-to-one situation is what ittakes to get people interested.” Adds Blanchard, “I am proud of all the BAEstudents I have worked with.”

Dr. Sarah Liehr is a facultymember researching animal wastemanagement. Liehr has a quiet,focused personality and a tempera-ment fitted for the research side ofengineering. Liehr says, “Womentry hard to gain acceptance andwin respect from their peersbecause women have not receivedenough recognition for their workto date.” She continues, “Womenshould not shy away from women-to-women networking or encour-agement. I believe you can strike a balance when working with your owngender that will not exclude others.”

Dr. Jean Spooner heads up the extension Water Quality Group (WQG). Sheis known for her “go-getter, spitfire” personality. A take-charge kind of person,she knows how to mobilize people and procure grant funds that keep the groupactive and vital. Spooner wears many hats, as she can be found in the field,behind the desk, at conferences, talking with municipalities, and staying in-formed of the WQ Group’s activities. Spooner is a networker and a doer, andnot very forgettable. To almost all she comes in contact with, she makes awonderful impression and it makes her a good role model for women. Whenasked how she feels about women in engineering practice, Spooner says, “Whynot? We can do it! Through the years, I have had many female students andfaculty employed under grant funds in the Water Quality Group. These womenhave all done a great job and have gotten lots of experience working with local,state, and federal government agencies, as well as contractors. When businessesand municipalities see the quality of work, business assurance, and level ofability women are capable of, it becomes obvious that gender is not relevant.”

Laura Lombardo is a civil/environmental engineer and extension associatewith the Water Quality Group. She and her female WQG colleagues, DaniSmith and Karen Hall, agree that women tend to go into the "helping andprotecting" side of engineering and science, whether it’s focused on people, or intheir case, the environment. "Improving the health of ecosystems and the lifethey support is what motivates me," says Lombardo. "It’s the reason I went intoengineering as an undergraduate -- to make a positive contribution to theworld, plus I liked math." Lombardo believes she would be more satisfied in

continued on page 7 continued on page 7

Dr. Sarah Liehr checking a lagoon flow trap

Page 7: Summer 2003 NCSU Bio and Ag Alumni and Friends Newsletter

BAE Alumni & Friends – 7

NCSU Women’s Studies – http://www.ncsu.edu/chass/mds/wostu.htmlNCSU Women’s Center – http://www.ncsu.edu/womens_center/

National Science Foundation SitesScience and Engineering Database – http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/stats.htmScientists and Engineers Statistical Database – http://srsstats.sbe.nsf.gov/

OrganizationsSociety for Women Engineers – http://www.swe.orgWITI – http://www.witi.com/index.phpNational Academy of Engineering – http://www.nae.edu/nae/cwe/cwemain.nsfThe National Academies – http://www4.nas.edu/osep/cwse.nsfAssociation For Women in Science – http://www.awis.org/Women in Engineering Orginization – http://www.engineering.tufts.edu/wieo/index.htmlInstitute on Women in Trades, Technology and Science – http://www.iwitts.com/html/iwitts.html

More Information

She owns a biomedicalconsultancy in Indiana that sup-ports clients conducting clinicalresearch of orthopaedic devices.Capps works alone and her workranges from research protocoldevelopment to statistical analysisand results interpretation. She alsowrites journal articles and technicalpapers, and creates presentationson biomedical devices. “I feel myengineering background has beenmost helpful in teaching me totake scientific/technical informa-tion and translate it into otherforms for communication,” saysCapps, “and it has also made mefeel very comfortable working inmale workgroups.”

Capps chose biomedicalengineering because she couldhelp many people with onedevice, as opposed to a medicaldoctor who helps one patient at atime. Regarding career challenges,Capps says, “I have to be a goodlistener when writing technicalreports so I can accurately conveywhat my clients wish to project.It’s difficult writing for others.”She continues, “Another challengefor me that is different from manyof my peers is that I work bymyself most of the time so I havehad to learn how to bounce anidea or concept off myself andthen have confidence in mydecisions.”

Capps feels the most importantqualities women engineers shouldpossess are determination, persis-tence and good listening skills.About her career choice, Cappssays, “I am very happy with whatI do. It is challenging and reward-ing, so I have never thought ofdoing anything else.” !

her career choice as an engineer if she were more mechanically and technologi-cally inclined, but feels that there are a lot of opportunities in the environmentalfield to add a human dimension to her work.

Rhonda Sherman is an extension specialist working with the engineeringaspects of vermicomposting systems for processing waste. Sherman was an earlywoman arrival at BAE and says, “I am enjoying seeing the increased femalepresence in the department and look forward to working with more women inthe future.” Jodi Pace is an engineer and research associate working in theanimal waste field. Pace says, “I have my Master’s but don’t wish to earn aPhD; not yet anyway. I just want to get out there in the field and practice theengineering that I have been trained for.”

The state of women’s engineering within the BAE department finds us to bequite typical, following the general NSF-noted trends for women in engineer-ing throughout the nation. However, the department sees its opportunities andthe potential it has for educating more women engineers. Beginning this fallBAE will add two new women faculty members providing additional rolemodels for female students in the department. They will teach in thebioprocessing concentration area. Our publications and materials are beingupdated to reflect women’s participation and concerns. BAE is focusing addi-tional efforts in seeking new internship opportunities that can provide idealmentoring situations for our students. Faculty are reviewing their courses andpractices to be more gender sensitive and inclusive and we are adding to ouron-line offerings to enhance flexible learning schedules.

Over time, with vision and sensitivity towards women as well as otherminorities, our educational efforts should spill out into the workplace. Today,diversity is good business in a expanding global economy. Businesses arelooking to improve product designs to function for diverse user groups andengineering problems require solutions with universal worldwide application.

Additionally, in striving for workplace diversity we may uncover anotheraspect of true freedom and understanding, reaching yet another cultural mile-stone in human history. Individuals are freer when they are able to work andmake a living in their own right. !

continued from page 6Alumnae

Page 8: Summer 2003 NCSU Bio and Ag Alumni and Friends Newsletter

8 – BAE Alumni & Friends

College of Agriculture and Life SciencesDepartment of Biological and Agricultural EngineeringCampus Box 7625Raleigh, NC 27695-7625

NONPROFIT ORG.

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

Raleigh, NC

PERMIT No. 2353

Name Curriculum

Spring 2003 Graduates○

View more graduation pictures atwww.bae.ncsu.edu/news/event_pictures.html

Graduating students andalumni now have the opportunityto purchase a brick in the CALSwalkway. To learn more see http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/alumni/brick.html. Bricks cost $75 to $150.

Saaid Tawfiq Abdel-Ghani .. BE/BME

Brandon Thomas Barham ... BE

Eban Zachary Bean .............. BE

Adam Gerrit Belanger ........... BE/BME

Jennifer Marie Bullock ........... BE

Michael Reed Burchell II ....... PHD

Meme Areleet Diaz ................ BE

Justin Matthew Dunlap ........ BE

Blake Richard Edwards ........ BE/BME

Zachary Lee Fuller ................ BE

Masego Turk Gaonnwe ......... BE/BME

Kenneth George Hardin ....... BE/BME

Jacklyn Candice Harrell ........ BE/BME

Joseph Lowry Helseth ........... BE/BME

Bethany Crystal Hunt .......... BE

Dale Nicholas Hyatt ............. BE

Christopher Grey Isley .......... AET

Jessica Mildred Lanford ........ BE/BME

Kari Ann Lauria .................... BE

Lauren Danielle Leaven ........ BE/BME

Melissa Renee Lemke ............. BE/BME

Diana Antang Liou ............... BE/BME

Nathan Robert Lowder ......... AET

Kevin Royal Monk ................. BE

Kelly Anne O’Brian ............... BE

Brian David Phillips .............. BE

Chad Ashley Poole ................. BE

Julie Ann Poore ...................... BE/BME

Brian Todd Robbins .............. BE/BME

Helen Paige Rollins ............... BE

Christy Layne Sackfield ........ BE

Lindsay Michele Sallach ....... BE/BME

Ryan Lee Shook .................... AET

Rebecca Lynn Slager ............. BE/BME

Rupert Mathew Erric (SS) .... BE/BME

Ryan Andrew Smith ............. MS

Kent James Smith .................. BE/BME

Stephanie Ann Southard ...... BE/BME

David Heath Stallings .......... AET

Kyle Richard Teeter ............... BE/BME

Mosalagae Tena ..................... BE/BME

Alyson O’Neda Worley ......... BE

Mohamed AbdelmoneimYoussef .................................... PHD