IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 29

a bear," she says, "but after four years,
Joanne. "They see stodgy professors
I had a lot of experience." She stayed at
that they don't identify with at all,"
Digital Equipment for 12 years, until
adds Pauline, "so they should go up
the company was acquired by Compaq
to female engineers and ask how they
(which then merged with Hewlettgot where they are." The best
Packard), and after working
advice, they say, is to seek
for a few firms, landed at
out a good mentor. "A
Women
Procter & Gamble in
lot of professors are
a division of Gillette.
re a lly h a nd s of f,"
don't have as
As a patent attorney,
says Joanne. "It's a
many professors
she draws heavily on
two-way street. The
they can see
her technical engiburden is on prothemselves in, so they
neering background
fessors, too." Engishould approach
as well as her strong
neering, after all, is
writing skills. Most
ver y much a "nurfemale engineers.
days, she says, "all I do
ture" discipline.
is write."
Where does it lead?
W hen Pauline graduIt depends. The path of any
ated, she felt she had "all the
engineer is determined by preferoptions open in the world"-she could
ences, choices, influences, and a numget a job, earn a master's degree, or
ber of others factors that won't be the
go to medical school. She decided on
same for everyone. The beauty of the
the Boston University School of Medifield, however, is that it allows for all
cine, and she loved it from the start.
sorts of contingencies. "I think many
"Engineering helped because, in some
students think engineering is more
ways, it's tougher conceptually," says
challenging, and they assume they
Pauline. Yet, in many ways, the intelcan't handle it. I think they're scared
lectual climate proved more challengaway-unnecessarily so," Joanne says.
ing. "I approached medical school like
"It's a difficult discipline, but it can go
engineering, which is very team orioff in so many different directions. ...
ented. But medical school seemed very
It's almost like they should change the
competitive, and I wasn't molded like
name and call it something else."
that," she says. Doctoring, she learned,
-Heather Wax
relied on more than technical skills and
knowledge; it involved understanding
the various ways that patients react-
physically and emotionally-to the
same disease or treatment. In some
respects, it was a far cry from engineering, in which "if you can derive an
Look forward with confidence
equation," says Pauline, "you know how
to deal with a problem."
Today, Pauline is an assistant pro"Now is the time for us to shine, the
fessor of pediatrics at Massachusetts
time when our dreams are in reach
General Hospital, a clinical instrucand possibilities, vast. Now is the time
tor at Harvard Medical School, and
for all of us to become the people we
an attending physician at a number
always dreamed of being. This is our
of Boston-area hospitals. Joanne still
world. We're here. We matter. The world
works as a patent attorney for Gillette.
is waiting." -One Tree Hill
They both look back fondly on their
Hardly a day goes by when I don't
engineering education and take time
reflect on future aspirations, beyond the
to speak about their experiences and
month left for me to graduate. Yes, it is
career decisions with current students.
that time when I step into the real world
"Women don't have as many profesto prove my worth. But the real question
sors they can see themselves in," says
is, am I ready?

Dream Beyond Dreams

n

june 2009

I have the opportunity, I have the
skills, but what is it that I am lacking? I
have all the means to do what I want to
do, I have the energy, the passion, but do
I have direction?
Think about this: when you leave
home, you need to have a certain destination and a route you follow to reach
that destination. Is it the same with our
lives? In any case, if you don't know
where you are going, any road will take
you nowhere.
Similarly, we have spent four years
of investment to become a product, differentiated from the rest. We will be the
graduates of a good university, good
engineers, good people. We are traveling
and on our way but we need to be clear
about our destination.
The only way that is possible is to
dream it, feel it, and think big. Yes, it's
all about here and now-I can only
achieve what I set out to without looking
back. Hopes, aspirations, and what you
want to do in the future is only a result
of dreams. When you dream, you commit to yourself:
Dedication-promise to do your best
Responsibility-make sure you do what
you set out to
Education-struggle for knowledge
Attitude-the way you perceive things
and react to them
Motivation-continue to try your hardest despite the ups and downs
It is only when you dream that you can
clearly mark out your goal. You enhance
in terms of:
Growth-spiritual, emotional, and mental development
Options-identify multiple opportunities
and become aware of better choices
Achievement-success becomes reality
Longevity-the quality of your own life
increases.
As human beings, we have the qualities and skills that set us apart from
the other earthly species. Discover it,
use it, and there's no end to how we
will shine. We are a replica of the stars
above the earth.
Yes, the world is waiting. Let's go out
and show them what we are all about.
-Hira Wajahat Malik

iEEE womEn in EnginEEring magazinE

29



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009

IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - Cover1
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - Cover2
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 1
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 2
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 3
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 4
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 5
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 6
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 7
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 8
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 9
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 10
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 11
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 12
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 13
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 14
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 15
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 16
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 17
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 18
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 19
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 20
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 21
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 22
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 23
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 24
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 25
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 26
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 27
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 28
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 29
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 30
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 31
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 32
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 33
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 34
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 35
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 36
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 37
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 38
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 39
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 40
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - Cover3
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - Cover4
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_june2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_december2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_june2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_december2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_june2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_december2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_june2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_december2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_june2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_december2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_summer2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_winter2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_summer2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_winter2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_summer2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_winter2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_summer2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_winter2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_summer2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_winter2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_summer2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_winter2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_summer2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_winter2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_winter2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_summer2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_winter2009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_summer2009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_winter2008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_summer2008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/womenengineering_winter2007
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com