The goal of this S-STEM program is to increase the number of women in Chemical Engineering at the University of Illinois-Chicago over the next five years. Understanding how high school students make career choices and why they do not choose engineering is critical to attracting more women into Chemical Engineering. Recent studies show that women make career choices primarily based on the positive contributions a profession makes to society. Therefore, the project emphasizes the important contributions that chemical engineers make to society, such as developing alternate fuels to address energy shortages, environmental cleanup, and conserving water and water purification. A recent study has shown that being connected can play an important role in shaping students' identity as engineers, which in turn leads to higher retention. Therefore, the program ensures that prospective and enrolled students have face-to-face interactions and working relationships with practicing engineers. The program also maintains close relationships with alumni in local chemical industries who help in activities ranging from recruiting, career mentoring, providing internships, to consulting/judging senior design projects. The scholarships provided under the S-STEM program enable the enrollment and retention of 50 academically-talented, financially-needy students into the field of chemical engineering.
