IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2015 - 34

Dr. Kolvoord, "there's still
and middle school students
to just compete against younger teams.
One
not as many women as
are interacting with
"I think this makes elementary teachers
of the "cool
we'd like to see, so it's
robotics and learnand parents more comfortable with the
things" happening
a particular point of
ing how they can
program," she explains. "People assume
emphasis to work
carry that interest
the age differences are most noticeable
at JMU is that all of the
with female students
over to college and
in the robot game, but I think it has a
college's programs have
in FLL." Similarly,
real-world problem
lot to do with the research project and
more female students
Berger shares that
solving, we have a
evaluation of core values, which are very
enrolled than
the VA-DC league is
chance to connect
different for a 9-year-old versus a 14 year
the national
about 30% female and
those students with
old." While only a few regions across the
30% minority, someour students and share
United States perform this separation,
average.
thing that she is happy to
the cool things that we're
Berger estimates that 60% of the VA-DC
see because, "I can tell you that,
doing at JMU," says Kolvoord.
teams are in the younger division and
as a female engineer, my community is
One of the "cool things" happenthat, as kids have gotten involved, word
not 30% female."
ing at JMU is that all of the college's proof mouth has helped grow the region.
In the competition, this breakdown
grams have more female students enrolled
The other contributing factor is the
can take two forms: either single-gender
than the national average, although says
strength of the area university partnerships. Until 2004, the program
was partnered with Virginia Tech,
where Berger received bachelor's
and master's degrees in aerospace engineering before taking
a job with NASA. Though the
partnership later moved to JMU,
Berger credits both universities
with helping grow the size of the
VA-DC league. "Good, solid leadership at both Virginia Tech and
JMU as well as lots of involvement
have really helped us from the
organizational side," she explains.
Of JMU, Kolvoord notes,
"There is quite a long history
with FIRST LEGO League. It
originally started with us hosting a regional tournament in our
area and supporting some teams
locally. But when we began hosting the VA-DC state tournament,
it became an opportunity for us
to bring all the high achievers
who won regional tournaments
to campus to compete and to
interact with our faculty, students, and facilities."
Therein lies the symbiotic relationship between FLL and the university, specifically its College of
Integrated Science and Engineering, which offers unique applied
science and engineering majors,
such as integrated science and
technology and engineering with
a focus on sustainable design. "At
the same time that late elementary
Karen Berger (in the referee shirt) with students at an FLL event.

34

IEEE women in engineering magazine

june 2015



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2015

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