The roots of the day date back to 1919, following World War I, when many women began to embrace engineering roles when they were needed to fill the gaps in the workforce. However, for many, the women in engineering decided that after the conflict ended that they would not leave their careers behind, so the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) was formed.
While the United Kingdom was the first to celebrate INWED, the rest of the world was right behind them, joining the movement in 2017. The original campaign launched in 2014 was in recognition of 95 years of the Women’s Engineering Society, highlighting the many contributions women have made to the field of engineering and is used to help recruit young girls and women to enter the heavily male-dominated field.
In the United States, women make up only 34% of the workforce in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) careers, with only 16% in the architecture and engineering fields as of 2023. Illinois’ workforce has slightly more women in the fields with approximately 16.7% in engineering and architecture.
Illinois is home to several highly ranked engineering programs at many state and private universities. Most notable, the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), The Grainger College of Engineering, which is nested in Rep. Brandun Schweizer’s district, is ranked number one in the state and ranks fifth overall in the United States for undergrad and seventh for graduate engineering programs. The university offers 19 different engineering programs, with 29-33% (depending on major) of the engineering college being made up by women.
The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign has greatly contributed to the field of engineering here in Illinois, serving as the alma mater for both the first woman to obtain a Bachelor of Science in engineering in Illinois, and for the first woman in Illinois to obtain a master’s in engineering.
Mary Thelma Miller, a Decatur native, which sits in Rep. Regan Deering’s district, was the first woman in Illinois to receive a BS in Civil Engineering, being the sole woman in her class, graduating in 1933. She would hold the title as the only woman in Illinois to graduate with an engineering degree for fifteen years, before she was joined by Barbara Schmidt, the second woman in Illinois to receive an undergraduate degree in the field.
Nancy Brazell Brooks earned her MS in Civil Engineering in1953, after graduating from Alabama Polytechnic Institute with a degree in architecture. Not only was Brazell Brooks the first woman to earn a master’s in engineering in Illinois, but she was also the first woman to join UIUC’s department research staff, bringing computers to the department. Aside from her work at the university, Brazell Brooks worked as a professional engineer for RAND Corporation, co-founded a small research firm, and later became a senior system consultant with General Research Corporation.
To continue to recruit women to the field, annually INWED launches a theme, with this year’s online campaign theme being #TogetherWeEngineer. To get involved with the organization, visit inwed.org to connect with resources, other women in the field, and help to enlighten young women looking to enter the field.