One of the many perks of being a woman in engineering is the WISER (Women in Science and Engineering) program, which offers first year women the opportunity to participate in research with a paid stipend from NASA. I had applied to this program on a whim, without knowing what any of the research topics really were.
I chose a few topics that sounded interesting, one of which being computational gene biology. I was drawn to the computational aspect of the topic due to my desire to pursue a topic related to my electrical engineering major. The biological factor also captured my attention because of an interest in biology that I had developed during my time in high school. Applying to the WISER program was one of the best decisions I have ever made – my research has become a very deep passion of mine.
Because of these experiences, my advice would be to do something that you are passionate about or try something new. It doesn’t have to relate to your major, and sometimes that’s the best experience. I loved learning things outside the scope of EE because it doesn’t feel like homework or like another class. The best part was I knew nothing going into this role, but after this experience with working with new things I feel as though I have accomplished something amazing. I was able to learn about a whole new topic and develop a new skillset.
It was daunting to start something unfamiliar but exceedingly rewarding in the end. So my advice would be not to be afraid of not knowing how to do something. Ask questions and people will be more than willing to help you along the way. My final piece of advice would be to find what you love. Not everyone continues a research project more than a semester, and some continue on the same project for all four years. As long as you love what you are doing continue it, but if you don’t there are many more projects out there that could interest you. Don’t be afraid to explore your options.
By: Kara Dally
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