JBJ: How women in STEM are filling in the gaps

Jacksonville Business Journal

Samantha Busch’s love of science developed at a young age, leading her to pursue a degree in chemistry at the University of North Florida.

“As a kid, I always thought I would invent a teleporter or a time machine. Like a boy, I was always into machinery,” Busch said.

Now an engineering major, she’s incoming president of the campus’ TeleRobotics Club, which is building a robo-submarine for competition in San Diego. “It’s been a great experience, especially working toward competition,” Busch said. “I’m excited to see teams who are all going to do it in a different way.”

Busch is one of the growing number of students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, math and medical — degrees that grant access to fast-expanding and high-paying fields. But women like Busch are still the exception in many of these fields, both locally and nationally.

In 2014, women were awarded about 19 percent of all U.S. science and engineering degrees and 18 percent of computer sciences degrees, according to a study by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

The lack of women in these fields represents a growing problem for STEM industries, which are adding more jobs than can be filled.

In Jacksonville, as efforts ramp up to increase the number of STEM-trained workers overall, some educators, industry leaders and even students are particularly focused on increasing the pool from which such workers will come by making sure it’s not just men.

The push is vital for the area’s economic growth, they say: Training more STEM workers could transform how industry sees the First Coast. Falling further behind — especially as other cities are redoubling efforts to train their workforces — could hamper the economy for a generation.

Systematic failure
The shortage of women in STEM fields could be caused by a number of factors, including a lack of encouragement and social stigma.

“At first glance, when you’re a woman and walking into the [TeleRobotics Club], people will ask, ‘Whose girlfriend are you?’,” Busch said. “Sometimes you feel like you have to prove yourself, and come in and say, ‘I know what I’m doing. I can do this.’ ”

Fixing those problems starts at the education level, but it also extends to the businesses looking for workers. As a former JEA chief information officer and now an education advocate, Wanyonyi Kendrick knows this firsthand.

“Executives have a desire to have their workforce reflect the population,” Kendrick said.

Getting there, though, requires educating workers not just in technological subjects but also in the very existence of the potential.

“Part of our problem is there is no silver bullet approach to making people aware that STEM jobs are growing,” said Gary Chartrand, chairman of the Florida Board of Education and executive chairman of Acosta Sales and Marketing. “If you’re not aware, it’s hard to take action.”

Chartrand is trying to bring that awareness to Northeast Florida, where technology jobs are growing faster than recent graduates can fill them. Along with Kendrick, he is advocating for a STEM hub.

The hub would be a joint effort between businesses, schools and the community focused on improving and expanding STEM education.

A recent symposium that launched the STEM hub concept, held at UNF, brought education leaders, from Superintendent of Duval County Public Schools Nikolai Vitti to presidents of all the major Jacksonville universities, and business leaders, like Greenshades’ Matt Kane and NASA’s Frank Robinson, together.

The shortage won’t be fixed through simply increasing the number of white males occupying jobs, the speakers said: A true fix will require bringing more students into the mix, including women.

Cynthia Bioteau, president of Florida State College at Jacksonville, said the college’s programs are targeting women and minorities, and setting out to create a bridge connecting that diverse student population to the workforce.

“Students are motivated if they can see what they can be,” Bioteau said.

Women seeing the potential starts with women in leadership positions.

Jacksonville is making progress in that regard. Four of its larger companies have female chief information officers — Web.com, Interline Brands, Stein Mart and Brooks Health.

Push for change
More women may be following in their footsteps.

As schools like the University of North Florida and Florida State College at Jacksonville reach out to students at the middle school and high school level, one goal is making women aware of all their options.

The attitude has shifted toward women in many fields, according to Wendy Norfleet, the director of career education at FSCJ who started her career in informaiton technology. When she started out, she was an “only” in many of her classes.

“There were a lot of hurdles,” Norfleet said. “I was told I couldn’t do things because I was a woman, but I’m actually very good at math, so I resented that. It makes you work harder.”

Now, the gap is closing, albeit slowly. Norfleet was one of a handful when she began, and now she’s seeing classes that have more of a 40-60 split.

People like Norfleet were pioneers for women in STEM fields and are trying to pave the way for future leaders, allowing them to see the possibilities and where there’s room for growth.

Recognizing where places like Jacksonville, which Norfleet describes as about average as far as STEM employment and women in STEM, can grow is also vital.

“I would like to see more entry points. I think we’re doing our part by creating technical certificates where you don’t have to get a complete degree, but focus on an area,” Norfleet said. “We’re working on it.”

As a woman and as part of a minority group, Wanynoni Kendrick is a pioneer herself. She started out in computer science when it was almost unheard of to have females fill the ranks and occupy leadership roles — now, it’s at least a possibility.

“Change starts at the top and it starts with having a boss who appreciates diversity,” Kendrick said. “I see many executives who are willing to take risks.”

A new generation
For the next generation of workers, those executives will be key — but the students aren’t sitting around waiting to be handed anything.

As the three women who are members of UNF’s TeleRobotics Club discuss how their robo-submarine will do in a competition over the summer, their ambition is palpable.

Stephanie Olson, a mechanical engineer, talks excitedly about becoming a Disney Imagineer, while Wenjing Liu hopes to work in the international sector as an electrical engineer. Busch is even more specific: “My focus is on engines now. I really loved our fluids class, our thermodynamics class. I absolutely love all that stuff,” Busch said. “I would love to work for, in specific, Rolls-Royce, which produces about 80 to 90 percent of our jet turbines.”

Busch, Olson and Liu say they see the level of gender disparity changing for the better — and say that’s exciting to witness.

“It’s not a question anymore if you’re a man or a woman. You’re an engineer. This is it. It’s not really separated anymore,” Olson said.

The three students serve as mentors to younger students, and young girls, and do outreach events at schools in the area. Teachers often approach them asking them to tell their female students that going into fields like engineering is a possibility.

“If we introduce women to the department and say that this is an option, they can’t help but fall in love with it,” Olson said.

Though all say that the engineering department at UNF has been accepting and welcoming, they say there’s still room for progress.

Mentoring women earlier — and showing that progress is under way — might be a route to future progression.

“Being a woman isn’t a handicap in this department or this industry,” Busch said.