Dr. Keith Williamson

Keith Williamson, a mechanical engineering professor at Old Dominion, says that he thinks that isolation is a major problem for female engineering students."It's not so much the coursework as feeling so isolated and not having faculty mentoring or peer support," he says."Gender stereotypes also make it more of a challenge than it should be.The coursework is tough enough already but these added pressures create some of these barriers."

In addition to WOMENGINEERS Day, Old Dominion has several other initiatives to attract women to engineering.Williamson is leading an effort along with Tidewater Community College in applying for a grant from the National Science Foundation to provide mentoring and career resources for women in engineering.The school has also submitted a grant proposal to NSF to create a summer institute for students and teachers addressing issues affecting women engineers.

Old Dominion's Presidential Scholars program is another effort to encourage women engineering students.The school pays for female students to receive a doctoral degree and gives them a fellowship with the expectation that they will teach at the university after receiving their degree.ODU currently has two Presidential Scholar faculty members.

Keith Williamson Old Dominion University kxwillia@odu.edu

Dr. Keith Williamson Associate Professor Department of Mechanical Engineering & The Virginia Center for Urban Education Old Dominion University