SWE - Conference 2008 - (Page 70)

BOOKSHELF Her Daughter the Engineer The Life of Elsie Gregory MacGill Richard I. Bourgeois-Doyle NRC Research Press (2008) ISBN-13: 978-0-660-19813-2 In 1927, Elsie Gregory MacGill became the first Canadian woman to graduate with a degree in electrical engineering. A SWE Achievement Award recipient in 1953 and lifetime member of the Society, she also was the first woman in North America to earn a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering. As the world’s first female aircraft designer, MacGill was renowned for her role in the development of early bush planes and as chief engineer for the Canadian Car and Foundry Company during World War II. She oversaw the production of the Hawker Hurricane fighter plane and designed and tested the Maple Leaf Trainer. MacGill was born in 1905 to a prominent Vancouver lawyer, James Henry MacGill, and Helen Gregory MacGill, British Columbia’s first woman judge and an advocate for women’s suffrage. It was her mother who influenced MacGill to study engineering. MacGill served on Canada’s Royal Commission on the Status of Women from its inception in 1967 through the release of its report in 1970. The report called for measures to ensure women received opportunities equal to those of men. Afflicted with a form of polio at age 24, MacGill defied a prognosis that she would likely not be able to walk again. Through sheer determination, she learned to walk using two strong canes. To help pay her medical bills, MacGill wrote magazine articles about aviation. In Her Daughter the Engineer, author Richard I. Bourgeois-Doyle, director of corporate governance at the National Research Council of Canada, takes readers on a journey through MacGill’s extraordinary life. MacGill believed that a life is best described and understood by finding a “golden thread,” the “package of beliefs and values that motivates and binds diverse, seemingly random actions.” By grasping MacGill’s own golden thread, which depicts her as “passionate, yet objective,” Bourgeois-Doyle weaves this remarkable woman’s personal story with an exploration of Canadian aviation history. Who’s Afraid of Marie Curie? The Challenges Facing Women in Science and Technology Linley Erin Hall Seal Press (2007) ISBN-10: 1580052118 ISBN-13: 978-1580052115 In 2005, Larry Summers, former president of Harvard University, suggested that women didn’t possess the same intrinsic abilities to excel in science and math as men did. Although Summers acknowledged that he was merely hypothesizing, his comments generated an outcry over the inequalities women in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) professions face. While the status of women in technical fields has improved in the last few decades, it has been a slow process. The number of women in some disciplines, such as physics and computer science, is still low, and women remain underrepresented at the highest ranks in all fields. Interweaving results from published studies with her own personal interviews with women, in Who’s Afraid of Marie Curie, author Linley Erin Hall examines what it’s like to be a woman in the STEMM professions. She interviewed 94 women, ages 14 to 81, about their experiences in these fields. While some of the women’s stories are filled with anger and frustration, the book also describes stories of success and inspiration. Written in accessible language rather than scholarly jargon, the book explores what can be done to inspire young girls to go into the sciences and to make STEMM careers more welcoming for women. I – Compiled by Carol Polakowski, associate editor. STANFORD UNIVERSITY Department of Computer Science Faculty Opening The Department of Computer Science at Stanford University invites applications for a senior-level teaching faculty position. The appointment will be made as a non-tenure line Professor (Teaching), with rank (Associate or Full Professor) depending upon the candidate’s seniority and experience. The candidate's responsibilities include: teaching classes (typically four courses during the three quarters of the regular academic year), working to develop CS undergraduate curriculum, and involvement in the broader CS educational community. The ideal applicant for this position will have a strong commitment to and demonstrated aptitude for teaching, as well as an established reputation and national visibility in Computer Science Education. All candidates must hold a Ph.D. in computer science or a closely related discipline. Further information about the Computer Science Department at Stanford can be found at: http://cs.stanford.edu/. Applications should include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, teaching statement, material relevant to evaluating the applicant’s teaching abilities, and the names of at least three references. Candidates are requested to ask references to send their letters directly to the search committee. Applications and letters should be sent to: Search Committee Chair, c/o Laura Kenny-Carlson, via electronic mail to: search@cs.stanford.edu. Applications will be accepted until January 2, 2009. Stanford University is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty. It welcomes nominations of and applications from women and members of minority groups, as well as others who would bring additional dimensions to the university's research and teaching missions. 70 SWE CONFERENCE 2008 http://cs.stanford.edu/

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SWE - Conference 2008

SWE - Conference 2008 Contents President’s Note View from the Executive Suite Editor’s Page Readers’ Forum ICWES14 Women of Courage Engineering’s Grand Challenges — What’s Your Pick? Diversity from the Ground Up Membership Information & Calendar A&B FY08 Membership Meeting Minutes Engineering World Point of View Career Toolbox Bookshelf SWE Smiles SWE Scrapbook Conference Sponsors and Program Overview Corporate Partnership Council Thursday Conference Program Friday Conference Program Saturday Conference Program Corporate Members Opportunity Index

SWE - Conference 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.