Inspiring Boldness: Supporting Women in STEAM Fields

Monday’s Community Assembly marked the first of Marymount’s signature Inspiring Boldness Speaker Series for 2016 with a stimulating talk from Dr. Jayathi Murthy, Dean of Engineering at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science. Dr. Murthy shared with our students how she came to her career trajectory in mechanical engineering, which stemmed from her motivation to contribute directly to improving systems and infrastructure, as well as strategies to overcome gender biases in a heavily male-dominated field.


Dr. Murthy’s story centers on the themes of enacting positive change and overcoming barriers. Inspired by both her mother and father, with her mother being the first woman in her family to attend college, and her father, a civil engineer, playing an essential role in building infrastructure throughout rural India. Falling into the engineering world, Murthy entered a prestigious program as a young Engineering student armed with the belief in herself, and the motivation to pursue impactful work. One of only two women in a 200-person program, she became one of the first women to graduate from the program.

After receiving a graduate degree in the U.S. and beginning her career as the sixth employee at a startup engineering company, Murthy continued on to become the Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. This past January, she joined UCLA as their first female Dean of Engineering.
 
As the Dean, one of her goals is to encourage and support women who are considering a career in engineering. This year, for example, the incoming class at the UCLA School of Engineering and Applied Science was made up of 35% women, a greater percentage than the previous classes.
 
In her captivating presentation, she debunked several myths that sometimes hold students back from pursuing the field. First, she argued, an engineering career does not focus solely on machines; rather, engineering is all about people. Another myth is that engineering is technical at its core, rather than artistic or creative. We cannot, Murthy argued, create a new product or system without conceptualizing new ideas. Engineering gives us the tools to envision new ways of approaching problems, creating new systems, and building solutions.
 
When a Marymount student asked what young women could to do prepare for a career in engineering, Dr. Murthy emphasized the importance of the whole girl, as well as critical thinking and team-building skills. Any activity, whether it is STEAM-related, humanities-focused or extracurricular, has applications in engineering. In fact, when UCLA reviews candidates for the undergraduate Engineering program, the school looks not only at strong scores and academic achievements, but at well-roundedness and leadership.
 
When asked how one can break the male-dominated, career-focused stereotype that engineers have, she responded that the best way to overturn these aging clichés is to get women involved. Gender diversification can only aid in the health of the profession. When Naomi S. ’17 asked, “Is there still prejudice in the field?” Dr. Murthy responded saying, “Yes, of course, but not everyone is biased. Most people I work with are deeply supportive.” When she does encounter moments of prejudice, Dr. Murthy’s strategy is to bear in mind her larger goals and the bigger picture of why she chose the field of engineering in the first place: to enact the change she is hoping to accomplish. “Setting this goal and sticking to it keeps me motivated and dedicated,” she says. “It helps define how you act and the decisions you make on a daily basis.”
 
And for Dr. Murthy, this big picture goal is coming to life through hard work, dedication and a passionate commitment to supporting students. As our Marymount students contemplate their own personal and career trajectories, they can count Dr. Murthy as an invaluable resource within the engineering profession.  
 
We thank Dr. Murthy for joining us and sharing her incredible experiences with our community. Her story is an inspiration, and one that many Marymount students will undoubtedly cite after graduating from Marymount. 
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