Current and Former Women Engineering Students from Penn State
Comments from previous WE Competition participants
“I enjoyed the hands-on element to the competition most; working with a variety of tools that represented real-life materials and procedures made the model feel wholly representative of the terrain. The use of play-doh, chiseling, glue, etc. demanded a crafty creativity that I feel we aren’t often able to demonstrate in coursework, which was a fun change.
“This competition brought my attention to the crucial necessity of rail in commerce, and granted a larger appreciation of the specific design challenges that railroad engineers deal with. I gained an appreciation for the current technology that powers the industry, and the pursuits for innovation that continue in the present. As for general engineering, this competition served as a reminder that the core of any engineering discipline is problem-solving, which then coursework and math is applied to. The need to develop a creative solution while considering the costs and metrics in question was a refreshing change from the classes that deal exclusively in math and theory.
“Thank you for a fabulous competition!”
—Sabiha Kermalli“Prior to the competition, I didn’t know anything about trains. During the three rounds, it was great to learn how much is involved in the railroad industry. I never imagined it would be so interesting or that I would have fun doing research on it.”
—Emily Cardoza“The competition challenged me to think in new ways. I had a lot of fun working hands-on, which is something I don’t get a lot of in my classes. I will definitely be recommending it to others!”
—Elizabeth Druschel“Participating in the WE competition was not only fun but also informative. Working hands-on and then having to justify our project decisions with the judges gave me insight on how to be brief yet descriptive. My friend and I had so much fun coming up with our ideas and having to revise. We both had a great time meeting fellow female students in engineering and seeing what they came up with too.”
—Kaitlin Harris“I participated in the WE Design Competition last year and I found it to be a lot of fun and a really challenging and inspiring competition. I would love the opportunity to participate again!”
—Jordan Kubenik
“I am currently a Sophomore here at Penn State Altoona and am a Civil Engineering major with a minor in Environmental Engineering. I am very excited for the start of WE and all the opportunities it could help bring me. Having a competition that is specialized to each type of engineering is something I wish we had before and will be a great learning experience for everyone involved.”
—Erica Luongo, Sophomore civil engineering student at Penn State Altoona
“When entering the engineering field, I was warned that I was ‘putting a ceiling on my career’ because I was a woman going into a male dominated field. In my experience, this has been the opposite case. The RTE program welcomed me with open arms and so has the rail industry. The office I currently work in is about 40% women and an incredible work environment. I have never been treated negatively due to my gender and I continue to grow in my current career path. I realize now that the people who made these comments were using a preconceived notion of how things used to be. The world is a changing place everyday and usually for the better. I gave the rail industry a chance and I don’t regret it.”
—Shelby Stigers, 2015 Rail Transportation Engineering graduate, now working at Siemens as a Systems Engineer
“I am a civil engineer working as an instructor in the RTE program at PSU Altoona. I got my B.Sc. degree in track and structure engineering and came to the United States for my master’s degree in civil engineering with my research focus on railroad related projects. Upon receiving my master’s in 2018, I switched to my current job at the Altoona campus. My job, which entails teaching students what I have learnt over the course of my two degrees, has been a rewarding experience.
I picked engineering as my major because I believe engineers make significant contributions to society. From building bridges, designing computer software, and plotting space flights to other planets engineers bring their analytical skills and creativity to improve the everyday lives of people. At the end of the day, facing different problems and trying to solve them with the skills I gained gives me intense satisfaction.
Knowing that engineering was a male dominated field, choosing it as a career option was a personal challenge that I took on; confident in the belief that other women before me had done the same and that I needed to inspire more to follow.
I believe women have come a long way to go to be accepted as equals to men and build their way to the place they have in today’s industry. Women have broken through the glass ceiling and made their mark in areas that were seen as male domains. As an engineer myself, I am heartened to see more and more women take up engineering as their profession. And as such nothing would give me more pleasure than to inspire more women to become engineers and build our way out of the gender disparity that does not belong in our time.”
—Nazari, Saharnaz, Railroad and civil engineering, Penn State graduate (2018 MS, 2023 Ph.D.), now working as track engineer at HNTB
“I am currently a sophomore in the Electro-mechanical Engineering Technology major at Penn-State Altoona. I chose the EMET program because I knew it was going to be a challenge, but it was a challenge that would be very beneficial towards my future endeavors. Engineering has brought me so many opportunities! Not only am I the president of the Society of Women Engineers, I have had many opportunities to showcase my knowledge and skills. With the Women in Engineering I believe, my knowledge with mechanical systems and electrical circuits can bring a bunch to the table and help make questions for the quiz bowl and aid students in the design of their project. The WE (Women in Engineering) Competition is such a great opportunity for females in all engineering majors to step up and show us what they got!”
—Olivia Miller, Sophomore Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology (EMET) student at Penn State Altoona
“I am a passionate, engaged, and self-motivated engineer whose primary interest is to use new technology (both instrumentation and numerical simulation) to solve geotechnical problems, especially in the field of railroad. I’ve been working in railroad engineering since 2011. I obtained my master’s degree from University of Kentucky and obtained my Ph.D. at Penn State. During my PhD study, I participated various projects funded by Federal Railway Administration, Railroad Industry, Transportation Technology Center, Inc., etc. Working in an area dominated by men, lots of the work is very hands-on and labor extensive. My role in the projects was to make detailed workplan, execute the workplan, analyze results and report findings to sponsors. In order to deliver the projects with good quality, I went to the field for overnight data collection regardless of weather conditions. The field experience sometime was tough, but I never regret. In contrast, the valuable field experience was very rewarding as I learnt more about the real engineering and prepared myself to be a competent engineer. Now I graduated and jointed Volpe National Transportation Systems Center. I think I will benefit a lot from my past field experience. I am excited and look forward to the challenges and adventures I will encounter in the engineering field as a woman!”
—Shushu Liu, Railroad and civil engineering, 2017 PSU graduate (PhD.), now working at US Department of Transportation Volpe Center, Cambridge
“I’ve been told many times over the years that I would never be given opportunities or be able to survive in such a male-dominated industry. Coming into this program, I was fully prepared to work day in and day out to prove myself to both myself and those around me. Being the first woman to graduate since the 2015 graduating class, there has been a lot thrown at me and my plate has been loaded ever since I stepped foot on campus in 2022. Although there were doubts, I have been given every opportunity to grow and learn by not only professors but also those in the rail industry. There has not been a day where I have been bored, and there has not been an opportunity that has passed by me in my time here. This program is a blessing, and I encourage every single woman who has considered entering a male-dominated industry to follow their heart. I hope to inspire future generations of women in male-dominated fields for years to come, and it all started with this amazing program.”
—Baileigh Mount, Class 2026 RTE student