AEDC engineers contribute to MTSU’s WISE panel discussion, outreach effort

  • Published
  • By Philip Lorenz III
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. --  Two of AEDC's engineers figured prominently in a recent Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (WISTEM) panel discussion hosted by and held at the Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.

Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, MTSU's WISTEM Center director and chemistry professor, said she is proud of what her organization has been able to accomplish since its founding in 2009. She credits the engineers from AEDC, Nissan and Schneider Electric who led the "successful" panel and webcast discussion Feb. 21 for encouraging girls to pursue scientifically-oriented educations and careers.

The webcast/panel is called WISE Women: Engineer the Future, Version 2.0.

"Kathy Nichols had to really tell the girls 'okay we've got to move on, we'll answer your questions in a few minutes,'" Dr. Iriarte-Gross said. "They kept asking these wonderful questions.

"Usually we have to kind of prompt the girls to ask questions, but we did not have to do that with this group."

Nichols, ATA liaison to AEDC's Air Force Contracting Office and a mechanical engineer, served as the panel's moderator and Carrie Reinholtz, a technology project manager for AEDC's technology branch, was on the panel that answered a wide variety of questions from more than 15 middle school students from the Nashville area.

Reinholtz said Nichols had prepared the panel members for the type of questions they anticipated the girls would likely ask them, but the students' interest quickly took over.

"For example, the questions we prepared were: 'why did you choose to go into engineering?' and 'what courses do you need to take in high school and college?'" she said. "However, we encouraged questions throughout, and in no time we had the girls raising their hands and asking question after question.

"It really just took off from there. Their questions sparked more questions and that's what I personally like to see in panel discussions. The girls were processing our responses, which sparked more interest and inquiry about not only the engineering career field and schooling, but also our personal hardships and challenges that we experienced along the way."

Reinholtz, whose 3-year-old daughter, Adylin, is already playing with LEGOs, taking things apart and helping her mother with simple repairs, said, "I participated in the 'Take Your Daughters to Work' day with my mom when I was in fifth grade."

"My mother worked at Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI) in Cleveland, Ohio. I interviewed an astronaut candidate selector and was so intrigued that I asked him, 'What do I do to be an astronaut major when I get to college?'"

"He laughed and responded, 'There's really no such thing as an astronaut major.' So, I said 'okay, what do I have to do, because I would love to be an astronaut someday.' He recommended going into math or science and to stay physically fit which is what pushed more toward the science and engineering education and to pursue a collegiate track career."

Reinholtz, whose career at AEDC began in 2006, emphasized that she wanted to share her enthusiasm for engineering with the students attending the MTSU panel discussion.

"There's never a dull moment in engineering, it's always, 'we can do this better, safer, greener, or more efficient,'" she said. "There are so many different ways that engineering can go."

Reinholtz said she has actively sought out ways to help young people learn about engineering and the opportunities available. She has done this by taking part in National Engineers Week activities like the Student Design Competition and Engineer-for-a-Day events at the Hands-On Science Center and AEDC for the past six years.

She and other AEDC engineers also went off base and took advantage of another mentoring opportunity.

"In October 2011, I participated in the Rocket Girl workshop at MTSU's Expanding Young Horizons Conference, which is where I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross. I expressed interest in getting more involved with STEM in the Murfreesboro area," she said.

One of the big highlights of the recent panel discussion at MTSU with the middle school students was discussing the serious challenges they face.

Reinholtz said the girls had asked about getting bad grades, getting in trouble and having a support network at home.

"The take away from this was don't get discouraged, stay focused and it pays off in the long run," she said. "All three of the panel members said we had gone through challenges and difficult times. But we all communicated to the girls that the rewards and outcomes have been worthwhile."

Reinholtz said she owed her professional success to three factors, unconditional parental support, hard work and a well-rounded approach to school and life in general.

"My parents gave me so many opportunities growing up, and for that I am grateful," she said. "It makes a huge difference. There was never 'you can't do this or that.' Their encouragement went a long way - and still does to this day.

"I was always a really hard worker, involved in a lot of sports and activities, and constantly networking. It has made me a very well-rounded person."

Reinholtz said since coming to AEDC she has wanted to get more involved in bringing more young people into engineering and science.

"I want to get more involved in the STEM effort and target young ladies, because I never had these opportunities growing up," she said. "A lot more girls would go into science and engineering if they were introduced to it at an earlier age. I'm trying to be a role model and demonstrate it is possible for women to be successful in the science and engineering career field."

Reinholtz also attributes her own career success with gaining a skill set early in life that included learning to communicate and organize effectively.

Some of her peers have asked her why she is transitioning into project management.

"Don't get me wrong, I love doing the science, math, and hands-on work," she said. "I have developed a technical base and I have learned the fundamentals, but project management really takes engineering to the next level - of being able to communicate the 'why.' I enjoy that aspect.

"If you present to the Commander and say 'I developed a new code for this or a new laser-based technique to measure that.' Why should our decision makers care? You need to not only know the 'how you're doing it' but also be able to communicate why it's important."