MentorNet...an E-mentoring program to help women engineering students

As you pursue your engineering career, are you curious about what it would be like to work in business, industry, government laboratories or be self-employed? Would you like to receive valuable advice and support from a professional engineer or scientist in the workplace?

The School of Engineering participates in MentorNet, an innovative nonprofit initiative which pairs undergraduate and graduate women with professionals in industry for structured, year-long mentoring relationships conveniently conducted via e-mail. In today's U.S. workforce, women are just over 9% of the engineers and approximately 30% of the scientists. And, while statistics at Penn Engineering are somewhat more encouraging, women students earn just 17% of the engineering, 32% of the physical science, and 41% of all science and math degrees. Mentoring is a proven strategy for increasing the retention rates of women in these fields.

If you are interested, we invite you to sign up with MentorNet to be paired with a mentor in industry. You must be over 18 years old to participate. Through mentors, you become acquainted with career opportunities in industry, gain access to professional networks and receive personal and professional guidance, support and encouragement. This is a great opportunity if you are contemplating a career in industry and would like to learn more about the "real world" of the industrial workplace.

To learn more, visit the MentorNet web site at http://www.mentornet.org and click on the "Students" link. Student applications are available in October each year; at other times you can add yourself to a distribution list to be notified via e-mail when applications open.