As many of you may have already noticed, the University of Puerto Rico’s Mayagüez Campus is recognized for its multiple stellar departments and one of them is the Engineering Department. Apart from the numerous investigation projects, scholarships, and programs that have risen from this department, there usually is one common factor that has made these milestones beateable, which is the unwavering support from dedicated associations who have one goal in common, success.
Women in Engineering for instance, is a global female led organization focused on empowering the next generation of college students interested in pursuing a career in engineering and STEM. The University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez’s Campus chapter was originally founded in September of 2005 by a group of ambitious students who wanted to motivate and inspire young women that are committed to making an impact within these fields of study.
A very important woman who is behind this wonderful initiative is Nadya Santiago Santiago, an admired electrical engineering professor within the university’s campus. Something you should all know about Mrs. Santiago is that she is respected by both her students and co-workers for her professionalism and dedication inside the engineering field. Another important detail to point out is that she received the prestigious 2017 CRA-E Undergraduate Research Faculty Mentoring Award. She also had the opportunity to organize the Google Tech Exchange Fall 2018 and was even selected to participate in the Google Faculty in Residency, among other recognized professionals. As you can see, WIE is in the hands of an extraordinary mentor.
Women Empower
It’s no secret that Women In Engineering has a love for collaborating with other organizations for the sake of a good cause. An example of this is that in 2020, WIE and the Power and Energy Society decided to create Women Empower.
Within this initiative, a very noble effort came to light known as Empower. This project was founded in January of 2023, but officially executed in the month of August 2023. The purpose of this initiative is to provide drinking water to the community of Culebra within a safe and clean environment. On September 23rd, the first visit to Culebra was made with the purpose of testing the viability of a school’s structure in order to equip a solar heater prototype and a water filtration system.
Star Program
The IEEE Student-Teacher and Research Engineer/Scientist (STAR) Program was created in response to the rising concern that students are being discouraged to pursue engineering and STEM careers from a very young age. This belief is very strong because when we observe carefully, most high-schools tend to only associate engineering with mathematics and robotics, making students who don’t really like math think that there isn’t a space for them, when there are countless other concentrations within the engineering and STEM fields that could be more aligned with their interests. Here, in the STAR Program, high-schoolers are given the opportunity to not only discover the truth behind this stigma, but also explore their academic interests alongside mentors who are willing to guide them through an investigation project. At the end of the program these students are given the opportunity to present their hard work and celebrate the valuable knowledge that was earned throughout this academic journey.
The WIE student chapter offers two major activities every year as part of the STAR Program: UPRM Engineering Department Seminars and UPRM Engineering Department Workshops.
How can you join?
I imagine that after reading all of the amazing things that this organization has done, you’re probably wondering what are the steps you’d need to take in order to join Women In Engineering. Well, I’ve got you. The requirements are simple. Although the WIE membership is free, you’d need to acquire the IEEE general membership which costs 32 dollars and is valid for 14 months. Your active participation is also encouraged within the association in order for you to make the most out of your membership. For more information on upcoming activities and general questions about WIE you can follow the association’s instagram account that goes by @wieuprm.
The WIE is an organization that welcomes students all year-round. Their president Karina Morales and the rest of the association’s directive is enthusiastic to continue educating women about the diverse engineering fields and majors that we can aspire to immerse ourselves in. The question is, would you like to join?