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engage students, who can be found discussing sis. If successful, her project would enable more exploding frogs in Germany, wading in a river to effective, faster processing and storage of numbers, measure dissolved oxygen… (or) selling investors with practical application in a number of fields. on their start-up biology company.” If Powell wanted to entice girls into computer Societal messages and images may turn some engineering or similar majors, “instead of saying girls away from the sciences, Cunard acknowlsomething to them, I would show them someedges. “But I think that today it is a matter that thing, such as a cool online game. depends far more on the individ“What inspired me most in ual, on the girl and the support high school were some really she has in other ways. awesome video games I saw. “I have a lot of girls in my “I’d also talk with them classes who are going into the sciabout the opportunities in this ences. In advanced science classes, field that let you become inthere are many girls, often more volved with social issues, issues girls than boys. of protection and security — “I do sense that some girls things like the network being — Makia Powell, tend to be more afraid, afraid of developed with tiny robots with Master’s candidate, College of Engineering volunteering an answer, of being sensors for communicating and wrong. Boys seem less so. predicting fires and floods, and “With those girls, I try to get them to give me the answers by preventing disasters. encouraging them. I’ll say things like, ‘you’re warm, you’re close, “I was in middle school when I really became interested in you’re almost there.’ I would never just say, ‘you’re wrong.’ computers. My dad is a draftsman and I thought his work was “When I was growing up, I wanted to be a veterinarian. I was interesting. I read about Bill Gates and Microsoft, and thought a good student overall, and good in the sciences. I had a great the technology seemed cool and I wanted to work on it. teacher who got me interested in biology — a high school teach“A lot of my friends were boys and we worked on computers er, male, who really challenged me to think, to use my mind. He and programming. I guess that as a child I seemed like a geek to wouldn’t just give me the answers. He was very animated. We’d some people, but I was a happy geek. This was all so interesting be studying heart rates, and he’d jump on his desk and then have to me, so it didn’t matter what some people thought. us jumping up to run outside.” “I felt I received encouragement and support from a lot of Cunard decided she’d like to teach, incorporating into her people —my parents foremost, and my teachers. classroom that same hands-on approach. She ultimately succeeded “What I like about the field is the problem-solving that is through the Massachusetts program that expedites teacher traininvolved. It’s a math game. Working on a project can be frustrating and brings science professionals into the classroom. ing and rewarding. For me, when something becomes frustrat A parent cited Cunard’s biotechnology course in nominating ing, it’s fun to work with others and usually together we can her for the Amgen award. Students explore advanced concepts find solutions. about cells, and complete real-world projects. For example, “One reason I came to UMass Dartmouth was because I heard student teams analyze an actual disease from a biological perthe engineering program was a hands-on program. I visited the spective, develop a product to address its symptoms, and design ATMC. I felt that if I had an idea, people there would help me. marketing and financial plans for the product. “In my undergrad engineering classes, there might be one or two “They’re brainstorming all the time, while I’m guiding them. females in a class of 25 to 30. In my graduate courses, there are usuThey go all over the country attending seminars on their disease, ally three females and the classes are smaller. A number of females via the Internet. We have a Spirit Week where they show their drop out of engineering, but that’s the case with men too. product and come up with a logo. And they have a session where “Being the only woman has never been a problem, although lots they persuade (hypothetical) investors to give them seed money. of times, I feel I haven’t been taken seriously. I would make a sug “Having the students work in this way is so effective. My gestion and it would be glossed over or I wouldn’t be listened to. thing has always been to make learning hands-on. For me as a “So I am consistent and stay calm. When I say I can deliver a student, it was a case of ‘If I can see it, can manipulate it, then project, it gets delivered. I earned respect. I can truly understand it. ’” “I went to a meeting in Boston of the Society of Women Engineers and it was refreshing (Asst. Professor Katja HolttaOtto is working to revive the UMass Dartmouth chapter). I saw , it as a networking opportunity and a place for mentorship. You’re a Raynham native, graduated magna cum laude this spring with a able to talk about different subjects and maybe other women can degree in computer and electrical engineeing. Now pursuing her guide you because they have dealt with the same issues.” master’s in computer engineering at UMass Dartmouth, she is Diane Hartnett is the writer in the university Publications Office working on a complex computer chip system as her graduate the-
I came to UMass Dartmouth
because I heard the engineering program was hands-on.
M akia P owell
UMass
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