U Of I College of Engineering Gets More Female Students

The University of Illinois is going to see more female engineering students around campus during the upcoming Fall semester.

The U of I College of Engineering has accepted 100 additional female students into their program compared to last year.

Senior Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Programs at the college, Umberto Ravaioli, said female admission numbers continue to get better. He said part of that success is a result of outreach to women and scholarships for women from the university.

“We are the positive slope. We have been preparing for a number of years. Now the challenge is to keep it going,” Ravaioli said.

Engineering is often viewed as male-dominated field. Ravaioli said that society has a large impact on women deciding whether or not to go into the industry.

He hopes to one day reach gender equality in the college. Currently, the number of women enrolled is less than 20 percent.

“We need to provide role models for women in order for them to feel that engineering is a career to be attracted to. They don’t see role models and they don’t feel that is a friendly environment,” Ravaioli said.

Female engineering students are graduating at a higher rate than any other group of students in the college.