College of Engineering alumnae encourage young women to pursue STEM careers

DETROIT (March 7, 2014) - Wayne State University College of Engineering alumnae Kesho Leach, BS ChE '02, and Frenae Smith, BS ChE '05, MS ChE '10, are encouraging young women to pursue careers in STEM through their involvement in the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Detroit Section and its Girls Engineering Exploration (GEE) event, to be held March 8 on Wayne State's campus.

	Frenae Smith
	Kesho Leach

"The purpose of GEE is to expose middle school-aged, inner city girls to engineering and science," says Smith, who works at DTE Energy Gas Operations as a supervisor in Codes and Standards and is co-chair of the parent/teacher session at GEE.

During the free, day-long event, girls will participate in interactive demonstrations and hands-on activities while their parents and teachers receive information about educational opportunities available for students, such as STEM summer programs. The girls - who are nominated by their teachers for outstanding achievement in the classroom and leadership - will each be given a T-shirt and backpack full of school supplies.

"Studies have shown that the STEM areas are underrepresented by women and minorities," says Leach, who work as a chemist at Axalta Coating Systems (formerly DuPont) and is chair of the Food Planning Committee for GEE. "The goal of the GEE program is to shift these studies in a positive direction by incorporating hands-on experiments, live demonstrations and team building activities."

Smith and Leach say their own experiences with female mentors inspired them to pursue careers in engineering and drove them to encourage other young women to pursue STEM careers. Many of their relationships with mentors were forged at Wayne State.

"I found female mentorship through my high school biology and chemistry teachers; the Wayne State co-op program; college professors; and student organizations such as SWE, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the National Society of Black Engineers," says Smith.

Leach also has several female mentors in her life, including her mother and her eighth grade science teacher. She is currently pursuing a master's in material science at Wayne State and counts Michele Grimm, interim director of Wayne State University's Transfer Student Success Center and associate professor of biomedical engineering, and Guangzhao Mao, professor of chemical engineering and materials science, as mentors.

"I truly believe the education and faculty at Wayne State have made a great difference in where I am today," says Leach.

Through SWE-Detroit and the GEE event, Leach and Smith hope to continue the tradition of inspiring other young women to explore careers in STEM.

"I believe it is important for practicing engineers to encourage young women to explore STEM careers," says Leach. "The position that you hold at your company is a beacon to others who are wondering if they can pursue this career. You are showing them that it's possible to reach goals and make your dreams come true. I have been privileged to speak with children at various outreach programs about my career path and explain the chemistries behind the hands-on activities; you can see their eyes light up and they become empowered. I encourage other professionals to become part of outreach programs and make a difference in a child's life."

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Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution of higher education offering 370 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 28,000 students. For more information about engineering at Wayne State University, visit engineering.wayne.edu.