STEM Gems

Book excerpt: Tired of seeing the same careers foisted upon women in TV, movies and magazines? Chemical engineer Stephanie Espy, a graduate of MIT, UC Berkeley and Emory University, tells the stories of 44 inspiring women in STEM to show girls and young women around the world a new set of women heroes to look up to.The statistics for women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers are just plain sad. In recent years, fewer than 20% of college graduates in engineering and computer science were women. While stereotypes pervade about women in these fields, the truth is that most girls have never even heard of these careers and are not aware of the wide range of options that exist.In STEM Gems, you and your daughter, niece, neighbor, friend or student will discover: The stories of 44 inspiring women in diverse STEM fields and how they made it; The challenges these incredible women faced in pursuit of their dreams; The tremendous accomplishments these Gems have achieved in their respective STEM fields; Advice on how to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers; Actionable steps girls and young women can take right now to set themselves up for success; What girls and young women can expect in a promising STEM career, and much, much more!Through the powerful stories of the STEM Gems in this book, girls and young women will have their pick of current role models of various ages, ethnicities and job types. And through the eight chapters that outline actionable steps, girls and young women will learn what they can do right now, today, to set themselves up for success and to create their own unique paths. STEM Gems is relatable, encouraging and inspiring, demonstrating the limitless possibilities for the next generation of women.