ROANOKE, Va. – February 11 marked International Women and Girls in STEM Day and all around the globe, we are seeing more females enter previously male-dominated fields.
The fields of science, technology, math and engineering were long considered careers only men could have, but women are proving that wrong.
We spoke with a professor with the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering for Virginia Tech, who tells us that they are always short on people in the workforce, and having more women on the application helps meet that need, and keeps them in those careers.
“It helps those that are the minority feel more welcomed and accepted, and they’re more likely to stay in the field compared to when they are the ‘onlies’ and then they feel that maybe this isn’t the right position for me,” Dr. Christina DiMarino, Asst. Professor at the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering said.
She also says when young girls see people like them in STEM fields, it encourages them to explore those career options.