Engineers, that is. Why? Consider this:

• 19% of engineering undergraduate degrees went to women, according to the American Society for Engineering Education. Why is that significant? Because it is the lowest it’s been in 10 years.

• 17% of students currently enrolled in undergraduate engineering programs are women, though they comprise 57% of the total undergrad population, according to ASEE.

• 20% of the doctorates in engineering in 2006 were earned by women, though in other fields such as psychology the percentage (71%) was far greater, according to the National Science Foundation.

• 8.6% of electrical and electronics engineering in 2007 were women, according to the Department of Professional Employees, AFL-CIO.

If none of this concerns you, then don’t bother reading any further.

Still there? Then you may want to consider what to do. You may want to start by getting involved in your local schools. Volunteer to speak at the next career day. Set up a meeting with the superintendent of schools to share your concerns. And contact your trade associations to see what their programming staffs have to say about your concerns. Perhaps you can start something. Perhaps all of us can. We welcome your comments and insights. Send yours to joe.jancsurak@penton.com.

And for more on women engineers and women executives in the medical-device industry, be sure to read Medical Design’s December issue.

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