Women in STEM

This June marks the 39th anniversary of Dr. Sally Ride’s historic achievement as the first American woman in space. Like many glass ceilings in science, the achievement was hard-won: talented female pilots had been shut out of the astronaut corps by NASA since the 1960s.

In 1962, Congress held a hearing to investigate the discrimination claims by female candidates, many of whom had outperformed their male counterparts during training. NASA representatives, most notably John Glenn, testified that “social order” was among the reasons it was undesirable to send women to space. The dream would have to wait another 20 years.

Since Ride blasted off aboard the Space Shuttle in 1983, the percentage of women pursuing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers has increased; however, men still outnumber women in these fields by large margins. According to the American Association of University Women (AAUW), females make up nearly half of all employees in the U.S. economy, yet they hold only 29% of STEM jobs. Many theories exist about why there is such a large discrepancy, but most agree that starting STEM education early, expanding scholarship opportunities, increasing the profile of female role models, and eliminating the stereotypes Glenn referred to in 1962 can close the gender gap for good.

Starting STEM Early

AAUW says that promoting an equitable learning environment in early grades can make all the difference for girls who want to study STEM. For the past 20 years, the College has brought thousands of middle and high-school girls to campus for an educational program called Women in Engineering Day. Hosted by the Canino School of Engineering Technology, the event features inspirational female speakers and hands-on activities in a variety of tech-focused areas to encourage imagination in a supportive space.

Professor Dr. Adrienne Rygel, who is the Program Coordinator for the Civil and Environmental Technology program, leads a demonstration about how chemistry and biology can solve a real-world problem like treating drinking water.

“Showing them how fun and interesting science can be, and the great things that it leads to, is the goal,” she said.

Women in Engineering Day’s longevity and success is the result of a core group of faculty, staff, and alumni supporters, including Marti King MacArthur ’74 & ’78, who was among the first women in College history to graduate from the Heating and Air Conditioning program. She said the event shines a spotlight on STEM at just the right time in the educational pipeline.

“It’s so important to introduce girls to these areas as early as possible to spark that interest,” she said.

While participants are experimenting and collaborating with their peers, they meet and learn from staff and faculty along the way. Associate

Role Models Matter

Another pivotal time to develop mentorship relationships is when girls start making decisions about their college major. Rygel is always eager to make a connection with juniors and seniors who have an interest in STEM.

“During our open houses and other information events, I make sure I’m visible and engaging with girls about our programs and showing them there is female representation among our faculty, ” she said.

When Rygel first developed the fouryear Civil and Environmental Engineering Technology degree in 2010, males made up the majority of the program. In the past 12 years, female

students are enrolling at a much higher rate, sometimes comprising half of her classes.

With a mentality of leading by example, she weaves anecdotes about her career into the curriculum. Sharing her personal experiences as a geologist in the private sector helps students envision themselves in similar roles.

“It’s all about increasing their awareness about the job opportunities available, as well as allowing them to see and hear from women in those fields,” she said.

Retaining more female college students in STEM majors by providing networking opportunities is another way to close the gender gap, according to AAUW. Several years ago, Rygel and a group of students started a campus chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) to encourage more peer-to-peer and mentorship relationships.

“SWE brings everyone together and provides an environment where we can all help and support one another,” said Civil and Environmental Engineering Technology graduate and former SWE President Isabela Spelta ’20.

Support Adds Up

(L to R): William H. Maxwell, Jenny Lee Ragan, and Marylin A. Galimi ’97

Increasing financial support for STEM scholars is also a piece of the gender parity puzzle. Access to more scholarship opportunities–particularly for those from underrepresented communities–can be a powerful tool.

Canton alumni and friends have stepped up to create awards specifically for women. Most recently, four supporters have joined together to establish an endowment that provides financial scholarships to female Electrical Engineering Technology (EET) students.

The initiative is led by William H. Maxwell, an Electrical Facilities Engineer at SUNY Upstate Medical University and a member of the College’s EET Advisory Board, who saw an opportunity to encourage diversity by becoming a lead scholarship donor.

“There’s always been a gender imbalance in these programs, and the reality is all of us who have a desire to learn have an obligation to give back to the profession, the community, and to science,” he said.

Two of his colleagues—alumna Marylin A. Galimi ’97, an EET graduate, and Jenny Lee Ragan, a graduate of Onondaga Community College’s (OCC)

Architectural Technology program— raised their hands to join him as founding donors.

Galimi is SUNY Upstate’s Chief Operating Officer and has more than 25 years’ experience in design operations. Her father was a mechanical engineer in her home country of Venezuela, and growing up she loved science. She heard about Canton after spending time in St. Lawrence County as a high school exchange student and wanted to continue studying in the U.S.

“At the time, Venezuela was a prosperous country, but women were not seen as professionals," Galimi said. "It was more about getting married and having a family, and I knew I wanted something different.”

She had a positive experience in the largely male-dominated program at Canton and credits the faculty for guiding her in the right direction.

Ragan is the third founding donor and SUNY Upstate's Director of Design and Construction. She also worked at C&S and became acquainted with Canton through construction projects. As a licensed architect, she was the Construction Manager on the iconic campus footbridge replacement project in 2012 and the Design and Construction Manager for an extensive exterior residence hall renovation project in 2015. Ragan said she enjoyed traveling to campus and had many coworkers who were Canton alumni.

When Maxwell approached her about the opportunity to donate, she thought about her own experience as an architecture student at OCC.

“I received a scholarship my first year of college, and without it, I simply wouldn’t have been able to attend,” she recalled. “It wasn’t a lot of money, but it made a huge difference to me. I am hopeful that this award has a similar impact for its recipients.”

Around the same time Maxwell and his colleagues were discussing the scholarship, another EET alumna, Nancy D. Tremlett ’86, stepped

Investing in STEM

Alumni, friends, and businesses have made generous investments in Canton scholarships that benefit talented female students who aspire to study STEM.

Nancy D. Tremlett ’86

forward to be the fourth founding donor. A technician for New York Telephone (now Verizon) for most of her career, she was one of the first women in the Central New York area to work in the field traversing manholes and power lines to keep people connected. After 25 years, she said there is still work to be done to increase gender parity in the profession.

Nancy D. Tremlett ’86

“I had been thinking for years about how I could assist other women who were interested in EET, but I didn’t know how to go about it. One day, I received a letter from the College asking for assistance for support of this scholarship, and I jumped right in.”

Once the eligibility criteria for the award was established, the College began accepting applications for the first “Women in Electrical Engineering Technology Scholarship.” A committee selected a non-traditional student, Sara Lynch, as the inaugural recipient in Fall 2021.

Sara Lynch

Lynch previously attended Alfred University and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with concentrations in painting and ceramics. Upon returning to her hometown of Potsdam, she rented a studio and acquired her own kilns to create commissioned pieces and lead pottery classes.

Sarah Lynch

“I had to troubleshoot electrical glitches and needed more advanced instruction than YouTube tutorials to make kiln repairs,” she said. A friend suggested enrolling in Canton’s Electrical Engineering Technology program to upskill.

After taking several courses, Lynch began to think about how she could use technology to augment her own afterschool literacy and art workshops. Bringing STEM to girls through the lens of art has the potential to get them excited about tech fields in a new way.

“I believe the future of education is multidisciplinary, and with the help of this scholarship, I will be able to fuse art with science and technology for area children,” she said.

Community role models like Lynch have the creative ability to make STEM more appealing and welcoming to the next generation of students. As more girls find their niche in a tech space and pursue degrees at colleges like Canton, the U.S. has an opportunity to fill a nationwide skills gap and harness new ideas and innovations to solve tomorrow's challenges.

AAUW Memorial Scholarship Established in 2000 by Carol Grzywinski, Sandy Sarkula, and the St. Lawrence County Branch of the American Association of University Women, the award benefits a female student from St. Lawrence County with leadership potential enrolled in a fouryear program of study. Preference is given to STEM-related fields.

Corning Foundation Endowed Scholarship Sponsored by Corning Inc., the award benefits an entering student in the Electrical Engineering Technology curriculum who is a graduate of a St. Lawrence County high school. Preference is given to women and minorities.

Catherine Wells Hart Memorial Endowed Scholarship The award was created from donations by friends, family, and businesses upon the passing of Catherine Wells Hart. This scholarship supports a female student pursuing a STEM degree within the Canino School of Engineering Technology.

Sheila Smith '82 Endowed Scholarship for Women in STEM The award was established in 2016 and is presented annually to a freshman or continuing female student in a program within the Canino School of Engineering Technology or the Veterinary Science/Veterinary Technology programs.