February 11, 2021 is the 6th Annual International Day of Women and Girls in Science! On December 22, 2015 the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed February 11th as day to celebrate the accomplishments of women in the Sciences fields around the world. UGI Energy Services joins the international community in celebrating the accomplishments of women in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, collectively known as STEM.
According to The American Association of University Women, “Women make up only 28% of the workforce in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and men vastly outnumber women majoring in most STEM fields in college. Engineering and computer science — two of the most lucrative STEM fields — remain heavily male dominated. Only 21% of engineering majors and 19% of computer science majors are women.” Closing this gender gap in the STEM fields is a goal we can all support.
Under UGI Corporation’s BIDE Initiative, our company is focusing on Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equality within our employee community. Through affinity groups like WIN, our Women’s Impact Network, the UGI Family of companies seeks to enable female employees with the tools, resources and support that they need to succeed.
To help encourage the next generation of ladies entering the STEM fields, we asked a few of our female employees to give some advice to younger women pursuing careers in the STEM fields.
The best pieces of advice I can give to young women pursuing a career in the STEM field are to be tough, know your worth, and to not fear the repercussions of being assertive.
-- Margaret Drda, Engineer II
The natural gas industry has so much variety in the positions you can hold. In my 7.5 years at UGIES, I have worked in operations, capital project design, finance, and welding…these positions were made available to me because of my background in engineering, a desire to learn as much as possible, and working for a business and industry that is ever changing.
One piece of advice I would offer to young women pursuing a career in engineering is to remember that there is no such thing as too many questions. Get the facts you need, do your work, and wow everyone with your resilience!
-- Rena Heim, Engineer III
The STEM world will likely put you in a position to experience a dynamic career. You’re going to encounter colleagues, bosses, mentors, and industry experts with many different capabilities. Make sure that you know your strengths and be willing to teach others. Continue to develop where you might struggle and leave space to learn from those in the room around you.
-- Kylie Kimball, Project Manager, Project Management & Construction
The inspiring work of these energetic ladies serves as a model for future generations of women engineers, and as inspiration to us all!
To learn more about International Day of Women and Girls in Science, visit https://www.womeninscienceday.org.
