New book on women engineers spotlights four at UF

February 20, 2006

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Despite progress in other fields, women represent less than 10 percent of the engineering workforce, and a new book aimed at increasing their numbers pays homage to four University of Florida faculty members.

“Changing Our World: True Stories of Women Engineers” includes profiles of UF Provost Janie Fouke and Wendy Graham, Dorota Haman and Carol Lehtola in UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

The book will be released Tuesday, during National Engineers Week, Feb. 19-25. It was written by Sybil Hatch and produced by the Extraordinary Woman Engineers Project, an effort by more than 50 organizations to encourage young women to pursue engineering careers.

The four UF faculty members were chosen for inclusion by a committee that reviewed hundreds of nominations from various engineering societies, said Graham, chair of UF’s agricultural and biological engineering department. The book includes both present-day engineers and historical figures.

Fouke, a biomedical engineer who was dean of engineering at Michigan State University before coming to UF, said the nation needs all the highly trained people it can possibly attract.

“It’s not strictly a gender-based issue, but since women make up half of the youth population, it’s important to reach out to them,” she said.

The book recognizes Fouke for discovering how cold weather can trigger asthma attacks by increasing blood flow to the lungs and expanding blood vessels. The text is aimed at lay readers and includes a wide array of engineering disciplines.

Graham, profiled for research on reducing nutrient pollution in groundwater, said young women should consider engineering because it offers many career options.

“I think it’s incredibly important to show young women what they can contribute to the world, and this book does a great job of showing what’s possible through engineering,” she said.

Lehtola, an agricultural safety expert, said she was thrilled to be recognized in the same book as one of her idols, industrial engineering pioneer Lillian Gilbreath.

“In high school, I did really well in math and science, but I couldn’t see myself becoming a high school teacher, which was the traditional science opportunity for women at the time,” Lehtola said. “There weren’t a lot of role models for me, so I’m glad to have a chance to offer inspiration to young women now.”

Lehtola, the first woman to graduate from South Dakota State University’s agricultural engineering program, is profiled for her efforts to reduce deaths due to tractor rollovers, the most common cause of farm deaths.

Haman, the first woman faculty member in UF’s agricultural and biological engineering department, said it’s important for universities to hire women engineers. An irrigation expert, she was profiled for helping farmers around the world.

“Female students need to see women engineers in leadership roles, and I think it benefits male students as well,” she said. “Today, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t have as many women engineers as men.”

For more information about “Changing Our World: True Stories of Women Engineers,” visit the following Web site: http://www.engineeringwomen.org/stories.html.

For interviews with Wendy Graham, please contact Tom Nordlie (352) 392-0400, Ext. 276, tnordlie@ifas.ufl.edu