St. Cloud Times — It used to be the running joke in Melissa Hanzsek-Brill’s undergraduate advanced mathematics courses.
“There were more people named Dan in our classes than there were females,” she said.
It may be slowly starting to change, but Hanzsek-Brill, now an associate professor of mathematics at St. Cloud State University, said there is still a long way to go in encouraging women and girls to consider taking courses and pursuing careers in math and science.
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On Jan. 28, the organization, in conjunction with St. Cloud State University, the College of St. Benedict’s and area businesses will host its second Tech Savvy event geared toward sparking an interest in STEM careers in the minds of girls in grades sixth through ninth.
The St. Cloud Tech Savvy event is one of 22 AAUW-affiliated events addressing girls and STEM careers across the country and the only one in Minnesota.
“I was a teacher for 30 years and know that this time period is so important in a girls life,” said Fran Hill-Rowen ’75, an AAUW volunteer. “I know how important it is for them to have somebody who will encourage them and let them know that it is OK to do this and that they can do this.”
