The College of Engineering at Wichita State University is hosting a free Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day (IGED) event, commonly known as Girl Day, for high school students from Wichita and the surrounding area. The event will be from 9:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20 in the Rhatigan Student Center at WSU.

“The purpose of an annual Girl Day is to increase gender equality and support diversity within the STEM fields,” said Ana Montanez Chacon, the director of inclusive excellence for the College of Engineering. “Post-event surveys from last year showed that 77% of students who were not considering a degree in engineering before the event strongly agreed that they will consider pursuing a degree in engineering or computing.”

WSU is planning to host about 200 participants for the IGED event. The students will participate in hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) activities, listen to inspirational speakers, and meet mentors from the engineering and computing industries, including professionals, WSU faculty and students. There will also be an opportunity fair featuring companies from STEM fields. Breakfast pastries and lunch will be provided.

The featured speakers will be Ashley Bland and Andrea Navarro-Evans. Bland is a biomedical engineering alumna of WSU and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Bioengineering at the University of Kansas, where she also serves as a graduate teaching assistant. Navarro-Evans is a recent graduate of the electrical engineering program at WSU and now works as a controls and manufacturing engineer at Panasonic Energy.

“I’m so excited for the students to hear the unique perspectives of Ashley and Andrea,” said Montanez Chacon. “While both graduated from the WSU College of Engineering, Ashley has decided to pursue further education and is also teaching, whereas Andrea is working in industry.”

Registration is still open for professionals from the engineering and computing industries who would like to volunteer and companies from STEM fields who would like to participate in the opportunity fair. Individuals and companies should visit the IGED event webpage to learn more and register.

“It is important to the future of the country that we encourage people from various backgrounds to pursue engineering and science careers,” said Anthony Muscat, the dean of the College of Engineering. “Engineers help society in many ways, and we need more people with unique perspectives investing their creativity and energy to solve society's toughest challenges.”

IGED is a national event that takes place during National Engineers Week, which will be observed Feb. 17-23 this year. The purpose of IGED events is to encourage young students to consider careers in STEM fields through mentorship with professional and collegiate role models. The College of Engineering has other events planned for its students, staff and faculty to observe and celebrate Engineers Week, including a carnival and student organization fair, a bowling night and a public 5k run/walk.

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Wichita State University is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling more than 23,000 students between its main campus and WSU Tech, including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.

Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students. The National Science Foundation ranked WSU No. 1 in the nation for aerospace engineering R&D, No. 2 for industry-funded engineering R&D and No. 8 overall for engineering R&D.

The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.

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