Discover STEM careers you may have never heard of with “STEM Gems”
The absence of female role models within fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) continues to serve as a disadvantage that discourages women and young girls to pursue STEM fields. To help address this issue, there are several people around the world who are taking action to help bring awareness to the STEM gender gap and working to make known the contributions that have been made by women in STEM fields so that women have role models who they can look up to.
One person in particular who has been taking major steps to address the gap is Stephanie Espy, a chemical engineer and author of the book “STEM Gems: How 44 Women Shine in Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and How You Can Too!”
“STEM Gems,” published in 2016, shares the stories of 44 women in 44 unique STEM fields. Furthermore, as the “STEM Gems” website shares, the book also gives an insight into some of the challenges that these women have faced, their accomplishments, advice on the pursuit of STEM fields, expectations in these fields and much more.
I recently had the honor of interviewing Espy, finding out more about her book, as well as other steps she has taken to help address the STEM gap and advice she has for girls who may be interested in STEM fields:
1. What is the main message you are hoping young girls and women will receive after reading your book?
Espy shared that the main goal of her book is to help expose careers in STEM that are underrepresented by women and to help make sure girls have different options and opportunities and that they know what these are. She said, “You can turn on the television and easily find doctors, lawyers, politicians and news reporters, but you don’t really see these women and careers,” referring to women in STEM.
2. Why are you passionate about helping to close the STEM gap/why do you think it’s an issue that needs to be addressed?
Espy said, “My background is in chemical engineering, and when I was in middle school, high school and college, I wasn’t thinking about closing a STEM gap. I didn’t even know there was a STEM gap.” However, having been a chemical engineering undergraduate and graduate student and experiencing several internships and jobs, Espy stated how she saw the common thread across all those varying education and work environments where, “it was just male dominated and also underrepresented by people of color.” She wondered why there weren’t more women in engineering (i.e., her specific area), sharing, “I’ve always loved math and science, so why don’t more women love math and science? Why is there such a shortage?” She felt the main reason for this shortage was the lack of exposure of STEM to young girls and women, which her book set out to change.
Espy added, “Both of my parents are engineers, so I definitely had exposure where a lot of people didn’t. So, to me, if I can expose girls to this idea of engineering and STEM and help them understand the different areas within STEM, then maybe that will excite them, like it excited me, to think about careers.”
3. If you could give one piece of advice to young girls who are interested in pursuing STEM fields, but are unsure, what would it be?
Espy expressed the importance of participating in hands-on activities and doing things that would help give girls proper exposure to different STEM subjects and careers before ruling them out, such as through attending STEM summer camps, clubs or summits. She added how her book “STEM Gems” discusses over 40 different STEM careers, mentioning, “Certain areas are not for everybody, but just because you’re not very keen on one area, doesn’t mean you won’t be keen on a different area.”
4. Did you have any personal female role models in STEM whom you looked up to when you were growing up?
“Yeah, I had a lot of them. Both my parents are engineers, and so are my aunts and uncles. In fact, I have lots of cousins and even siblings. People with my own last name, there were role models…And then there were your sort of well-known women in STEM that I knew about, like Mae Jemison, Sally Ride and Grace Hopper; those women I had heard of who I also looked up to.”
While she did have these role models whom she looked up to, Espy noted that it was more about loving the content, and “Learning about different people and women was just icing on the cake for me.”
5. What other steps, on top of writing this book, have you taken to help address this issue?
“The book was always the first step in the things that I’ve created. I didn’t really see myself creating a whole list of programming, but that’s kind of what happens.” Espy went on to share how she created a curriculum to go along with the book, describing it as, “A curriculum that serves as a discussion guide, as well as…Some different activities that you can do to help show you if that career interests you. If you enjoy the activity, then you’ll probably enjoy the career.” She further added how she has created summer camps and conferences as well.
Espy said she also does book clubs in different schools across the country and that there is information on the STEM Gems website discussing how you can start a STEM Gems club for girls in your school, organization, community group or even at your college.
6. Anything else you would like to add (about your book, mission, etc.)?
While she wrote “STEM Gems” with the middle-school age in mind, Espy shared this simply meant that anyone could read it, including students in middle school, high school and adults. “You don’t have to have a background in STEM to read and understand it.” She added that the book is appropriate for college students as well, especially those who are still unsure of what they want to pursue.
Espy ended by saying, “There’s story after story after story of inspiration, so I just feel like there’s something in here for everybody, and there’s a lot of advice you can walk away with.”