News
News
TALENTED TOMMIE ENGINEERS SCOUTED BY EMPLOYERS
SUPPORTING DIVERSITY IN ENGINEERING
T he University of St. Thomas School of Engineering is working toward a more diverse experience for our students and faculty: EXPOSURE OF STUDENTS TO RELATABLE ROLE MODELS The number of female faculty in engineering has steadily increased, and St. Thomas ranks in the Top 20 in the nation by ASEE for institutions with the highest percentage of tenured and tenure-track female faculty.
CREATING A CULTURE THAT ENCOURAGES INCLUSION OF WOMEN The School of Engineering provides financial and organizational support for groups such as Society of Women Engineers (SWE) that may help expand the image of the engineering profession, and inspire women to achieve their full potential engineering careers.
FREE DAY CAMPS ALLOW MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS TO EXPLORE THE FIELD OF ENGINEERING St. Thomas offers an introduction to the exciting world of science, technology and engineering for girls in sixth and eighth grade. The Science, Technology and Engineering Preview Summer Program (STEPS) are free daylong engineering “camps” meant to ignite an interest in STEM and give girls an opportunity to engineer, create and connect with engineering faculty.
Photos by Kelli Steidle
T he University of St. Thomas School of Engineering’s annual “Meet the Engineers”
to convince employers to talk to me because they already want to and they’re seeking me out instead of the other way around.” Other students are also getting offers, even first-year students, such as civil engineering major Ian Hensley . “To me, the reverse career fair created a better atmosphere for students (than traditional career fairs). I felt more like they wanted to talk to me since they came up to me and showed an interest, so I felt more wanted. I got many internship offers,” he said.
Potential employers sign up in advance, so they can look at students’ resumes online before they attend. This gives employers the ability to seek out the skill sets they are looking for and cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. Companies represented included 3M, Boston Scientific, Coloplast, Graco, Minnesota Department of Transportation and Polaris. Mechanical engineering major Claire Bentfield received several internship offers within the first week after the career fair as well as follow- up emails from every employer she met. “I love the logistics of a reverse career fair,” she said. “The best part was having the opportunity to speak with employers in a relatively relaxed setting. I don’t feel like I have
Reverse Career Fair attracted 160 engineering students this academic year. They spent a fall afternoon speaking to more than 170 company representatives from a variety of engineering industries who were looking to find interns and future employees. This event, which brings together talented St. Thomas students with employers, is a career fair in reverse – the students are stationed at tables, and employers come to them. “The practice in preparing material, advertising myself, and being interviewed was by far the most valuable part of the event,” said Luke Freimuth , a first-year mechanical engineering major.
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