By Jennie Fitzgerald

WPI isn’t necessarily known as a “women’s” school, but with the creation of the Office of Women’s Programs, we may see this perception change over the next few years. Created in December of 2000, the office emphasizes pluralism, leadership, and a sense of community, ideas female students at WPI find rewarding and important to their success.

Female students account for only 10% of WPI’s population in certain academic concentrations. Many feel isolated, especially when they’re only 1 out of only 31 women in their major. The Office of Women’s Programs plays a vital role in helping reduce these feelings and increase women’s involvement.

The Women’s Industry Network (WIN) is one of the Office’s most successful programs. It mentors students, bringing them together with professional female engineers, scientists, and managers. Three times a year, 300 students attend a dinner where they’re seated at a table with two women who work in the chosen industry. A guest speaker discusses women issues in the professional world and students gain insight into what they can expect and prepare for in the workforce, both professionally and socially. Not only is the event informative, but it also gives students a valuable opportunity to network, build references and contacts, and begin a positive relationship with successful career women who are role models. Laura Amodeo, a WPI graduate and last year’s winner of the Woman of Strength Award, given by the WIN, says that “The Women’s Industry Network was an extremely valuable tool that not only allowed me the opportunity to interface with women in my industry, but also provided a forum to discuss concerns about entering the professional world.” The dinner has become such a popular event that the organizers usually have to turn away about 50 women each year, so if you’re interested in attending, make sure to mark down on your 2008 calendar that registrations end on September 7!

Girls Night Out (GNO), another of the Office of Women’s Programs’ creations, is just that, a women’s-only social program that encourages women to get together for fun and bonding. They typically host events like ice cream socials, karaoke, ice skating, arts and crafts, and an annual Halloween Activities Fair that’s attended by various sororities, the Society of Women Engineers, and Women in Electrical and Computing Engineering.

Shelley Nicholson, Director of the Office of Women’s Programs, believes confidence is the key to her programs. “A sense of community and building self confidence is the best reason to be involved in women’s programs.” Shelley has seen these programs benefit students in more ways than one and considers its visibility on campus to be its greatest achievement. She says, “When it was first developed, people reacted with ‘Oh, the girls are doing something,’ but now, just the presence of our office is felt and students really appreciate and embrace it.” Even girls still in high school are coming to check out the programs and what they offer, and Shelley hopes that what’s happening on campus will encourage more women to attend WPI and eventually result in a 25% female attendance at the school.

Although the Office of Women’s Programs is certainly female-centric, it isn’t just for women. Reaching out to the entire campus, it also aids men, BiLAGA (the bisexual, gay, and lesbian alliance), and underrepresented minority students. Their mission statement, to “…provide leadership in campus efforts on issues of diversity and pluralism,” is achieved through the openness of this Office and its dedication to helping as many students as possible.

A combination of mentoring, having fun, and advocating leadership makes for successful, enthusiastic, supportive female students in a male-dominated institution. Hopefully, these programs will produce more students like Laura, whose greatest strength, nurtured and fortified through her involvement with the Office of Women’s Programs, is “…standing up for what is right and just and being determined to overcome academic and personal challenges.”