Representation matters. When people learn about the achievements of people with whom they identify, they believe they can achieve, too. Role models and mentors also can help people from underrepresented groups with the skills and support they need to overcome barriers to becoming a STEM professional.
On March 18, 2024, I participated in the launch of the Women in STEM Ambassador Program. These ambassadors will participate in programs at schools, colleges, and conferences to raise awareness about opportunities for women in the semiconductor industry, and inspire interest in engineering and related STEM fields. As an ambassador, I’m proud to be a part of this group and will continue to use my role as NIST director to encourage women to pursue careers in STEM.
You can also contribute to safe, inclusive spaces with your empathy and leadership. Use your position in your community and at your job to help other voices be heard. Stand up to inequalities when you see them. Inspire change, inspire others to change, and be part of creating a more diverse and equitable future for all.
The Women in STEM Ambassador Program, along with CHIPS for America workforce programs, are about much more than addressing a shortage of skilled professionals. Such programs help make our economy work for everyone by expanding access to good jobs that include women, people of color, veterans, persons with disabilities, and rural populations.
This year’s Women’s History Month theme is “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.” Will you join me as an advocate for change?
During my career, I have seen that many women in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) have had similar experiences as they advanced in education and at work: A paucity of women in STEM has meant that some of our most impactful advocates and mentors have been people different from us.
By mentoring, showing, and encouraging representation, you can advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion. A study by the University of Massachusetts showed that just four meetings between female mentors and female engineering students increased students’ feelings of belonging, confidence, and motivation, and increased their ambitions to pursue a postgraduate engineering degree.
CHIPS for America, which is being implemented by NIST, is encouraging workforce strategies to ensure a highly skilled, diverse workforce to meet the program’s goal of establishing a semiconductor manufacturing and research and development base in the United States. And women are a big part of this equation.
This is changing as women increasingly enter STEM fields. According to the National Science Foundation, the STEM workforce increased by 20% in the decade ending in 2021. While women haven’t yet achieved parity with men in STEM fields, the number of women entering STEM fields increased faster (by 31%) than the number of men entering STEM (up 15%). Today more than ever, women can look around their labs and offices and see younger versions of themselves conducting experiments, analyzing data and designs, writing code and equations, and running algorithms.
Published March 21, 2024, here, and republished by NIST.