This summer, Altieri’s women engineering interns were given the assignment of choosing a woman engineer in the firm to interview for wom(EN)gineer. They decided to each interview an engineer from one of the four trades (MEPF) to get different perspectives. They also collectively came up with the same questions to ask the engineer they would be interviewing.
Cora is a Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Michigan. She chose to interview mechanical engineer, Emily Deterding.
What is your favorite part about being a woman in STEM?
Emily thought that it was fun to be a woman in STEM because you immediately have a built-in community of other women in STEM. These communities allow women in STEM to support each other.
Were there any certifications, skills, or classes that have been useful during your career and have helped you to stand out?
Emily highlighted the importance of gaining experience through internships. Internships allow you to network and put yourself out there. She also explained how internships can help you to discover what industries you are interested in.
What is your favorite part of mechanical engineering?
For Emily, classes like math and thermodynamics made her really enjoy mechanical engineering. She also enjoyed how tangible mechanical engineering is. Something she loves about MEP engineering is how it is applicable everywhere since buildings, vehicles, and everywhere else we go need heating and cooling. Additionally, she emphasized that MEP engineers have a direct and considerable impact on moving energy usage to more green solutions.
Cora’s Reflection
Loving being part of communities of women in STEM is something I deeply resonate with. In college, I have been able to join communities of women in STEM, and it is rewarding to be able to find common interests and help each other with classwork through those communities. It was really interesting to learn how widespread the principles of MEP engineering are. I hadn’t thought about its applications outside of buildings but as Emily explained, it has many applications such the vehicle industry. I plan to use the information from this interview to explore industries through internships and put myself out there by taking risks and exploring engineering careers.