Georgia Southern and Herty Participate in ‘Girls Engineer It!’ Day in Savannah

February 14, 2013

Georgia Southern University and the Herty Advanced Materials Development Center will participate in the annual “Girls Engineer It!” Day on Feb. 16 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Woodville Tompkins High School in Savannah. This will be the first time the two have participated in the program.

The event, hosted by the Savannah Coastal Empire Section of the Society of Women Engineers and other engineering organizations, educates middle and high school girls about opportunities available in engineering professions. Informational sessions for parents concerning college choices, scholarships and financial aid will also be available. Both local area academic institutions and companies will participate in the event, which is sponsored by Gulfstream Aerospace, Georgia Power and the ExxonMobil Foundation.

Georgia Southern is home to the nation’s newest College of Engineering and Information Technology (CEIT). While the University has been offering engineering technology programs for decades, it began offering bachelor’s degrees in civil, electrical and mechanical engineering in 2011. With the addition of engineering at Georgia Southern, Georgia’s top students now have an additional choice for engineering degrees, enabling them to take full advantage of Georgia’s HOPE scholarship by not having to go out of state.

“Georgia Southern continues to develop strong programs in a number of engineering disciplines that are preparing students for jobs, many of which are here in Savannah,” said Dr. Maria Alba-Flores, professor of electrical engineering.

Located in Savannah, Ga., Herty is a unique research and development center that supports and encourages new ideas while helping to unlock commercial opportunities from companies around the world. Today, Herty is a global leader in traditional and advanced materials innovation and recently introduced a new $2 million pellet mill designed to validate and produce clean energy solutions for North America and Europe.

While at “Girls Engineer It!” Day, area students in grades six through 12 will have an opportunity to meet with Georgia Southern and Herty engineering professionals to discuss engineering degree programs and careers. A 2011 report by the U.S. Department of Commerce found that only one in seven engineers is female. Additionally, women have seen no employment growth in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) jobs since 2000.

“Engineering is a rewarding career for both men and women and yet there are still very few young women pursuing this profession, and we would like to help change this,” said Alexander Koukoulas, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Herty. “Events like these can break down the stereotypes and barriers that are keeping young women from this profession and demonstrate to them that careers in engineering, science and technology can be fulfilling and provide them with tremendous career growth opportunities.”

For more information and to register, please visit: http://swesavannahandcoastalempire.onefireplace.com. Admission for high school and middle school students is $5. Admission for a group is $10 (max 10 students). Adult admission is free.

Herty is a world-class research, development and demonstration facility for the non-wovens industry, as well as the pulp and paper and the emerging bioenergy and biomaterials industries. Herty is a new product and process accelerator providing technical, market and development expertise to clients. The Center has extensive pilot-scale capabilities for prototyping new products and de-risking the commercialization process. For more information about Herty, visit: www.herty.com.

Georgia Southern University, a Carnegie Doctoral/Research University founded in 1906, offers more than 120 degree programs serving more than 20,500 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement.  Georgia Southern is recognized for its student-centered approach to education. Visit: www.georgiasouthern.edu.