By Sherry Bonelli

Alice Belcher remembers well the initial conversation she had with her high school guidance counselor in southern California about pursuing an engineering career.

Although she enjoyed math and science and was fairly good at solving problems, this native of Whittier, Calif., hadn't given any thought to pursuing a career that would incorporate all three.

Alice Belcher

"At that time, I thought engineering had to do with actual trains running on railroad tracks," she said, laughing. "Obviously, I had a lot to learn at that point."

Like many girls across the United States, Belcher began losing interest in math and science during junior high school. She also began to feel pressure from her peers to pursue a profession other than one dominated by "geeky" males.

"There's definitely a stereotype that accompanies the engineering profession, and that's something we need to work hard to eliminate," said Belcher, now the director of Commercial Systems Product Assurance at Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids. "Not all engineers are geeks, and not all engineers are male."

Sharing their passion

That message was one that Belcher and Rockwell Collins colleagues Michele Busse and Monica Dunbar relayed to a group of about 74 eighth-grade girls who visited our facility in Cedar Rapids during Engineers Week.

With only 9 percent of engineering jobs in today's world held by women, this trio of employees is passionate about explaining the benefits of earning an engineering degree, providing encouragement, and serving as mentors and role models.

"I really enjoy what I do at Rockwell Collins and I enjoy coming to work every day," said Belcher, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, Calif. "I want to teach young women today that they can become engineers and they can make a difference in society."

Michele Busse

Busse agrees. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Iowa State University, this native of Dubuque, Iowa, says engineering opened an array of opportunities she originally thought not possible.

Inspired by her cousin, who worked as an aerospace engineer for NASA at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and her high school math teacher, Busse decided to use engineering as a springboard toward a law career.

"You can get an engineering degree and make a very good living," Busse told those attending the Introduce a Girl to Engineering event. "But you also can pursue an infinite number of other careers with an engineering degree."

And she is living proof. After working as an engineer for three years, Busse decided to return to college and, in May 1992, received her law degree from The University of Iowa College of Law. Today, she works as an attorney in our Office of the General Counsel.

"Engineering is about problem-solving, and law is about problem-solving," said Busse. "When you have an engineering degree, there are so many other possibilities that open up and, with such a shortage of engineering graduates right now, it's very important that we inspire females."

A wealth of opportunities

Photo by Paul Marlow,
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Inspiring minds — As a youngster, Monica Dunbar was fascinated with space. After learning more from her uncle, an electrical engineer who worked on the space shuttle program, she decided to pursue an engineering career. Today, she is a principal program manager for our Commercial Systems eFlight program.

A native of Norton, Kan., Dunbar also was inspired to pursue engineering by a family member. Her uncle was an electrical engineer for one of our competitors and his work on the space shuttle program proved fascinating.

"I was absolutely enthralled by the whole space shuttle program," said Dunbar, now a principal program manager for our Commercial Systems eFlight program. "I wanted to become an astronaut in the worst way, and engineering seemed like a good way to get started."

A high school senior in January 1986 when the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight leading to the deaths of all seven crew members, Dunbar realized the dangers associated with the job. Still, her passion for pursuing a space career remained in tact.

"It was devastating to watch, but it didn't keep me from being interested in it," said Dunbar, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Kansas State University, and a Master of Business Administration degree from The University of Iowa. "I was fascinated with space and I was bound and determined to pursue that career."

Once her engineering career took off, however, Dunbar discovered she enjoyed what she was doing and her dreams of going to outer space subsided.

"There are so many opportunities available in engineering, and I really enjoyed the direction in which my career was going," said Dunbar, who worked for three years at one of our competitors before joining Rockwell Collins in April 1994. "We simply need to educate young girls about the possibilities, and we need to help them understand what's available to them."

For Dunbar, pursuing a career in which many of her colleagues are male also proved beneficial on a personal level. Dunbar met her husband, Mark, while working for our competitor. Today, he is a senior software engineer for our Commercial Systems Maintenance Controls Data department.

"I met my husband while standing in a cafeteria line," said Dunbar, laughing. "Back then, there were far more males in engineering than females. That's still the case today, but we're trying hard to change that."

That said, Dunbar and her colleagues are committed to increasing the percentage of female students considering engineering careers. And, sharing their stories with the eighth-grade girls was one step in the right direction.

Prior to touring our facilities in Cedar Rapids, only 56 percent of the girls in attendance said they would consider an engineering career. But, after learning about the products and solutions our company develops and hearing from Dunbar, Busse and Belcher, 96 percent said they would explore engineering careers.

"With the Baby-Boomer population beginning to retire, it's now more important than ever that we inspire anyone - male or female - to choose engineering," said Busse. "We need to inspire and develop that next generation of engineering talent. They are the future of our company."

— Editor Jill Kleppe Wojciechowski contributed to this article.