Cornell will participate again this fall in MentorNet, an innovative electronic mentoring service for women pursuing careers in engineering and the sciences.
Using e-mail, MentorNet links undergraduate students with mentors working in private industry who can help them overcome gender-related obstacles women face in college and later in the work force. Other support services for the students are offered through the program's web site.
"We have been very enthusiastic MentorNet partners since year one," said R.J. Burt, assistant director of Women's Programs in Engineering. "We could put our students in touch with our alumni but this is all over the country. MentorNet does things for the students that are beyond our ability."
The nonprofit program, founded in spring 1998, is believed to be the first of its kind offered nationwide. This year it is expected that MentorNet will link 2,200 female engineering and science majors from 64 colleges and universities with volunteer mentors working in private industry and government labs. The number of students served is expected to grow to several thousand over the next few years.
Last year 100 Cornell engineering students participated, according to Krishna Athreya, director of women's programs in the College of Engineering. To help expand the program this year, her office has recruited Gwen Cristini '04, a student in the College of Civil and Environmental Engineering and co-president of the Cornell chapter of the Society of Women Engineers, to act as student advocate for MentorNet, helping to recruit participants and serve as a resource for interested students. Cristini was a MentorNet participant last year and is continuing this year with a second mentor.
"Last year, I was matched with a woman also in civil engineering working for one of the top firms in the country," Cristini reported. "She tried to help out with my numerous questions about what it's like in the 'real job world.' She helped me with my resume, gave me advice on the tough grad school vs. job decision, and she even helped me look for an internship last summer. MentorNet is a great resource to help find out more about your future career and to have someone specifically interested in your questions and concerns."
Invitations to participate in MentorNet have been sent to all women engineering students and women in the College of Arts and Sciences majoring in science and math, Athreya said, but she noted that there also may be many students who have not yet declared their majors who could benefit from MentorNet as an aid to choosing a major and planning a career. The program is open to any women majoring in science, mathematics or engineering in any college, Athreya said.
Students interested in participating should go directly to the MentorNet web site at www.mentornet.net to sign up. Professional women and men who are interested in serving as mentors may also sign up at that site. The deadline for applications for the 2000-2001 school year is Oct. 15.
There is compelling evidence that mentoring can make a big difference in a student's success in college as well as after graduation," said Carol Muller, MentorNet founder and executive director. "Because MentorNet uses e-mail and other electronic technologies, it can link many more students and mentors than traditional mentoring programs relying on face-to-face meetings."
Although women account for 46 percent of the U.S. work force, they are seriously underrepresented in many scientific areas, particularly engineering, Muller said. "Women account for less than 10 percent of the nation's engineers," she noted.
In this year's Cornell freshman class, 25 percent of engineering students are women.
MentorNet, a partnership effort involving colleges and universities, corporations, government and professional societies, is headquartered at San José State University. AT&T, Intel, IBM, Ford Motor Co., Cisco Systems, the Alcoa Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Science Foundation provide major project funding.
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