What can be done to increase diversity in STEAM fields?
In my view, exposure to the youth is key here. Waiting until the time when you want to hire candidates in STEAM careers is too late. In my career in intellectual property litigation, candidates who have a technical background in undergraduate and graduate studies prior to law school are particularly sought after, yet too few undergraduates are aware that they can marry a technical background and love of science with the law. We have to spread the word. There are so many options to suit so many interests and the only way we can continue to have the best of the best in STEAM careers is to make sure that future candidates know of all the possibilities in STEAM.
Describe your experiences as a woman in a STEAM career.
I consider myself to have had a very fortunate experience in my career as an intellectual property litigator. I know the statistics of women in the legal field do not necessarily reflect this—especially in IP—but I have seen so many brilliant women in my field. I have been on case teams that are composed primarily of women, which, although a rarity in legal careers, is something I’ve experienced multiple times. And I have always felt empowered as a woman in my field—it has never felt like a disadvantage I’ve had to overcome. My hope for other women in STEAM careers is that my experience is not necessarily a fortunate one (as I have classified it), but instead, commonplace.
If you are a woman who loves STEAM and is debating a career in it, go for it! I’ve seen more and more women in my field, so women’s presence in STEAM careers is only growing. I have practiced in non- STEAM fields of law and have never been so challenged and engaged as I am in my career in IP. Despite not having a technical background myself, I have always loved and been drawn to science and once I discovered intellectual property litigation, I knew it was right for me. I pursued it and now, every day, I get to do the best job: learning new technology against a backdrop of constantly updated law and advocating for intellectual property rights of individuals and corporations alike.
