When Anne Spence, mechanical engineering, began her undergraduate studies in engineering, she noticed that a number of fellow female students dropped out of the program before graduation. She wondered if a female professor might have made a difference and decided to dedicate her career to serving as a role model for young women. In an interview with CBS Baltimore earlier this month, Spence shared her passion for the recruitment, training, and retention of engineering majors.
“Here at UMBC, we are training almost 300 teachers each year to teach engineering in elementary, middle and high school,” Spence said. “We believe that exposing children early to engineering will encourage them to stay interested. We also work to retain women and minorities in engineering.”
She also shared resources and advice for youth to encourage interest in engineering and STEM fields. “Don’t listen to those who tell you that you cannot succeed,” she advised. “If I had listened, I would not have the exciting career I have today.”
Read “UMBC Professor Setting Example For The Next Generation” in CBS Baltimore.
