1. SMU EVENT KRISTEN N. PARRISH, PHD FEB 26 2014 1

2. ABOUT ME o Education o Work Experience o Hobbies/life outside work o Outreach 2

3. WHY STUDY ENGINEERING? o Solve problems creatively o Opportunities for individual and teamwork o Scholarship opportunities abound o Well rounded education while gaining practical skills o You still can (and have to) take non-engineering classes! o Post-graduate options – lots of open doors o Medical school, Law school, business school? o Great career options! 3

4. WHY BE AN ENGINEER? o Never get bored – always be working on and learning new things o Solve real problems in the world today o Have real impact on others o Opportunities to excel at technical and business levels o Tech company perks – flexible schedules, remote work, travel o Financial stability and independence o Lots of choice! Great career options that enable exciting opportunities and adventures 4

5. CAREER OPTIONS “Traditional” Engineering Entrepreneurship Business Leadership “Other” 5 Work on everything from solar cells to spaceships Impact big decisions – you often don’t need an MBA! Start-ups – if you have a great idea engineering helps make it happen Patent law, teaching, science writing, public policy, the list is endless

6. OUTREACH o Mentorship is important o Who helped inspire you to study math, science or engineering? o Works at many different levels o Keep attending events where you can meet other women in STEM o Meet women leaders and peers o Volunteer and mentor younger women interested in STEM o Engineer your World, Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, etc 6

7. ENGINEERING… FOR 5 TH GRADERS 7 http://www.engineeryourlife.org/